Dopaminergic modulation of cognitive signals in prefrontal cortex neurons

多巴胺是一种重要的神经调节剂，根据灵长类动物的内部状态调节前额叶皮质(PFC)的工作。然而，尽管多巴胺在多种神经精神疾病中扮演着突出的角色，但多巴胺及其受体家族在调节认知控制方面的作用尚不清楚。在这个项目中，猴子将被训练来执行需要执行控制功能的认知要求高的任务。在任务执行过程中，当使用微离子导入刺激或阻断被记录神经元附近的特定多巴胺受体时，将记录PFC中单个神经元群体的反应。这些数据将有助于理解多巴胺如何在单细胞和神经元群体的水平上影响携带行为相关信息的神经元信号。

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.