Cortical Circuit Basis of Visual Spatial Processing

 描述(申请人提供)：阐明视觉短期记忆等认知功能的神经生物学基础一直是科学研究的长期目标，因为它对于理解正常的认知功能和治疗可能摧毁思考和行动能力的大脑障碍至关重要。拟议的实验将调查这一角色 两个大脑区域，后顶叶和背外侧前额叶皮质的认知功能，依赖于非人类灵长类动物模型。我们将从视觉短时记忆容量、各脑区对记忆相关行为的影响以及短时记忆任务训练后的功能可塑性等方面对这两个区域的单个神经元和群体反应进行比较研究。这些研究将有助于揭示与高级认知功能有关的皮质区域的功能专门化，并为正常认知过程以及脑损伤和精神疾病的后果提供启示。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Explicating the neurobiological basis of cognitive functions such as visual short term memory has been a long standing goal of scientific research because it is essential for understanding normal cognitive functions and treating brain disorders that can devastate the ability to think and act. The proposed experiments will investigate the role of two brain areas, the posterior parietal and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in cognitive functions, relying on a non-human primate model. We will comparatively investigate the single-neuron and population responses in these two areas, with respect to visual short-term memory capacity, the influence of each brain area to memory involved behavior, and their functional plasticity as a result of training in short term memory tasks. These studies will help unveil the functional specialization of cortical areas involved in higher cognitive functions and offer insighs on normal cognitive processing as well as the consequences of brain injury and mental illness.