CORTICAL MECHANISMS IN PERCEPTION AND BEHAVIOR

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The long-term goal of this research is to contribute to the understanding of the sensory control of movement through studies of the cerebral cortex and basal ganglia of macaques using physiological, behavioral and anatomical methods. Emphasis will be placed on investigating the role of premotor and parietal cortex in the visual control of limb and head movement. One major aim is to continue current research on the hypothesis that these areas represent space in "body-part" centered coordinate systems, rather than in retinal or head centered ones. A second major aim is to understand the relation between the sensory and motor properties of premotor neurons. A third major aim is to explore cortical mechanisms of spatial attention. A fourth major aim is to trace the anatomical inputs to premotor cortex and analyze their contributions to the properties of premotor neurons. A fifth major aim is to contrast the behavioral effects of lesions of dorsal and ventral premotor cortex. A sixth major aim is to compare the coding of space in parietal Area 7b, in the ventral premotor cortex and in the ventrolateral putamen. This research should contribute to the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of sensory-motor function caused by developmental abnormalities, disease, trauma, aging and unusual environments such as in outer space. The proposed research may also contribute to the development of visual and limb prostheses and artificial devices for object manipulation.