NEUROPHYSIOLOGY OF ACTION SELECTION IN THE CEREBRAL CORT

该项目的目的是研究参与多种潜在运动动作的规范和选择的大脑皮层机制。 这项工作的动机在于一个广泛的理论框架的基础上并行的神经机制的“行动规范”（指定的参数的潜在行动）和机制的“行动选择”（选择之间的几个可能的行动课程）。 在这个框架中，感觉输入的神经处理可以导致同时指定几个潜在的运动动作，其中一个可以根据行为上下文释放到执行（选择）。 在我们的实验中，我们训练一只猴子，使达到运动的空间目标后，指示的延迟期，在此期间，两个潜在的目标。在指令延迟的前半段，猴子不知道哪个目标是正确的。 在下半场，非空间线索指示正确的目标。 问题是：当猴子仍然不知道哪一个是正确的时候，它准备了两个可能的动作，准备得有多详细？ 也就是说，他是仅仅记住了目标的感官表征，还是以与准备一个明确的动作相同的细节程度来准备（指定）两个潜在的动作？ 初步结果有利于后者的可能性，支持框架的并行动作规范和选择。

The purpose of the proposed project is to investigate the cerebral cortical mechanisms involved in the specification and selection of multiple potential motor actions. The motivation for this work lies in a broad theoretical framework based on parallel neural mechanisms of "action specification" (which specify the parameters of potential actions) and mechanisms of "action selection" (which choose between several possible courses of action). In this framework, neural processing of sensory input can lead to the simultaneous specification of several potential motor actions, one of which may be released into execution (selected) depending on the behavioral context. In our experiment, we train a monkey to make reaching movements to spatial targets after an instructed delay period during which two potential targets are presented. During the first half of the instructed delay, the monkey does not know which target will be the correct one. During the second half, a non-spatial cue indicates the correct target. The question is: In how much detail does the monkey prepare the two potential movements while he still does not know which will be the correct one? That is, does he merely remember sensory representations of the targets or does he prepare (specify) both potential movements with the same degree of detail with which a single unambiguous movement can be prepared? Preliminary results favor the latter possibility, supporting the framework of parallel action specification and selection.