Dopaminergic modulation of cognitive signals in prefrontal cortex neurons

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Dopamine is an important neuromodulator regulating the workings of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) according to the internal state of primates. However, the role of dopamine and the ma-jor receptor families in modulating cognitive control is anything but clear, despite the fact that dopamine plays a prominent role in a variety of neuropsychiatric diseases. In this project, monkeys will be trained to perform cognitively demanding tasks requiring executive control functions. During task performance, the responses of populations of single neurons in the PFC will be recorded while stimulating or blocking specific dopamine receptors at the vicinity of the recorded neurons using micro-iontophoresis. The data will help to understand how do-pamine influences neuronal signals carrying behavioural-relevant information at the level of single cells and neuron populations.