scholarly journals Distinct subdivisions of human medial parietal cortex support recollection of people and places

eLife ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward H Silson ◽  
Adam Steel ◽  
Alexis Kidder ◽  
Adrian W Gilmore ◽  
Chris I Baker

Human medial parietal cortex (MPC) is implicated in multiple cognitive processes including memory recall, visual scene processing and navigation, and is a core component of the default mode network. Here, we demonstrate distinct subdivisions of MPC that are selectively recruited during memory recall of either specific people or places. First, distinct regions of MPC exhibited differential functional connectivity with medial and lateral regions of ventral temporal cortex (VTC). Second, these same medial regions showed selective, but negative, responses to the visual presentation of different stimulus categories, with clear preferences for scenes and faces. Finally, and most critically, these regions were differentially recruited during memory recall of either people or places with a strong familiarity advantage. Taken together, these data suggest that the organizing principle defining the medial-lateral axis of VTC is reflected in MPC, but in the context of memory recall.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward H Silson ◽  
Adam Steel ◽  
Alexis Kidder ◽  
Adrian W Gilmore ◽  
Chris I Baker

AbstractHuman medial parietal cortex (MPC) is implicated in multiple cognitive processes including memory recall, visual scene processing and navigation. It is also considered a core component of the default mode network. Here, we combine fMRI data across three independent experiments to demonstrate distinct subdivisions of MPC that are selectively recruited during memory recall of either specific places or specific people. First, distinct regions of MPC were identified on the basis of differential functional connectivity with medial and lateral regions of anterior ventral temporal cortex (VTC). Second, these same medial regions exhibited differential responses to the visual presentation of different stimulus categories, with clear preferences for scenes and faces, respectively. Third, and most critically, these regions were selectively recruited during either place or people memory recall. These subdivisions also showed a striking relationship with ventral and dorsal divisions of the default mode network. Taken together, these data reveal distinct subdivisions within MPC for the recall of places and people and moreover, suggest that the organizing principle defining the medial-lateral axis of VTC is reflected in MPC, but in the context of memory recall.


2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 875-887
Author(s):  
Kai Hwang ◽  
James M Shine ◽  
Dillan Cellier ◽  
Mark D’Esposito

Abstract Past studies have demonstrated that flexible interactions between brain regions support a wide range of goal-directed behaviors. However, the neural mechanisms that underlie adaptive communication between brain regions are not well understood. In this study, we combined theta-burst transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the sources of top-down biasing signals that influence task-evoked functional connectivity. Subjects viewed sequences of images of faces and buildings and were required to detect repetitions (2-back vs. 1-back) of the attended stimuli category (faces or buildings). We found that functional connectivity between ventral temporal cortex and the primary visual cortex (VC) increased during processing of task-relevant stimuli, especially during higher memory loads. Furthermore, the strength of functional connectivity was greater for correct trials. Increases in task-evoked functional connectivity strength were correlated with increases in activity in multiple frontal, parietal, and subcortical (caudate and thalamus) regions. Finally, we found that TMS to superior intraparietal sulcus (IPS), but not to primary somatosensory cortex, decreased task-specific modulation in connectivity patterns between the primary VC and the parahippocampal place area. These findings demonstrate that the human IPS is a source of top-down biasing signals that modulate task-evoked functional connectivity among task-relevant cortical regions.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Arcaro ◽  
Mark A. Pinsk ◽  
Janice Chen ◽  
Sabine Kastner

ABSTRACTThe pulvinar regulates information transmission to cortex and communication between cortical areas. The way the pulvinar interacts with cortex is governed by its intrinsic organization. Here, we show using fMRI that the human pulvinar is functionally heterogeneous, broadly separated into dorsal and ventral subdivisions based on characterization of response properties and functional connectivity with cortex. These differences mirrored the organization of the dorsal and ventral streams of visual cortex. The ventral subdivision of the pulvinar was functionally coupled with occipital and temporal cortex. The dorsal subdivision of the pulvinar was functionally coupled with frontal and parietal cortex. The dorsal subdivision was also coupled with the human-specific tool network and to the default mode network. The spatial organization of pulvino-cortical coupling reflected both the functional similarities and anatomical distances between cortical areas. Together, the human pulvinar appears to represent the entire visual system and the principles that govern its organization, though in a spatially compressed form.Author ContributionsMA, MP, and JC collected data; MA and JC analyzed the data; MA, MP, JC, and SK wrote the paper.


Author(s):  
Vincent Taschereau-Dumouchel ◽  
Toshinori Chiba ◽  
Ai Koizumi ◽  
Mitsuo Kawato ◽  
Hakwan Lau

AbstractUsing neural reinforcement, participants can be trained to pair a reward with the activation of specific multivoxel patterns in their brains. In a double-blind placebo-controlled experiment, we previously showed that this intervention can decrease the physiological reactivity associated with naturally feared animals. However, the mechanisms behind the effect remain incompletely understood and its usefulness for treatment remains unclear. If the intervention fundamentally changed the brain responses, we might expect to observe relatively stable changes in the functional connectivity within the threat regulation network. To evaluate this possibility, we conducted functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) sessions while subjects were at rest, before and after neural reinforcement, and quantified the changes in resting-state functional connectivity accordingly. Our results indicate that neural reinforcement increased the connectivity of prefrontal regulatory regions with the amygdala and the ventral temporal cortex (where the visual representations of phobic targets are). Surprisingly, we found no evidence of Hebbian-like learning during neural reinforcement, contrary to what one may expect based on previous neurofeedback studies. These results suggest that multivoxel neural reinforcement, also known as decoded neurofeedback (DecNef), may operate via unique mechanisms, distinct from those involved in conventional neurofeedback.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruyuan Zhang ◽  
Kendrick Kay

ABSTRACTVisual neuroscientists have long characterized attention as inducing a scaling or additive effect on fixed parametric functions describing neural responses (e.g., contrast response functions). Here, we instead propose that top-down effects are more complex and manifest in ways that depend not only on attention but also other cognitive processes involved in executing a task. To substantiate this theory, we analyze fMRI responses in human ventral temporal cortex (VTC) in a study where stimulus eccentricity and cognitive task are varied. We find that as stimuli are presented farther into the periphery, bottom-up stimulus-driven responses decline but top-down attentional enhancement increases substantially. This disproportionate enhancement of weak responses cannot be easily explained by conventional models of attention. Furthermore, we find that attentional effects depend on the specific cognitive task performed by the subject, indicating the influence of additional cognitive processes other than attention (e.g., decision-making). The effects we observe replicate in an independent experiment from the same study, and also generalize to a separate study involving different stimulus manipulations (contrast and phase coherence). Our results suggest that a quantitative understanding of top-down modulation requires more nuanced and more precise characterization of multiple cognitive factors involved in completing a perceptual task.


2010 ◽  
Vol 103 (2) ◽  
pp. 793-800 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin L. Vincent ◽  
Itamar Kahn ◽  
David C. Van Essen ◽  
Randy L. Buckner

Neuroimaging experiments in humans suggest that regions in parietal cortex and along the posterior midline are functionally connected to the medial temporal lobe and are active during memory retrieval. It is unknown whether macaques have a similar network. We examined functional connectivity in isoflurane-anesthetized macaques to identify a network associated with posterior parahippocampal cortex (PPHC). Functional connectivity was observed between the PPHC and retrosplenial, posterior cingulate, superior temporal gyrus, and inferior parietal cortex. PPHC correlations were distinct from regions in parietal and temporal cortex activated by an oculomotor task. Comparison of macaque and human PPHC correlations revealed similarities that suggest the temporal-parietal region identified in the macaque may share a common lineage with human Brodmann area 39, a region thought to be involved in recollection. These results suggest that macaques and humans may have homologous PPHC-parietal pathways. By specifying the location of the putative macaque homologue in parietal cortex, we provide a target for future physiological exploration of this area's role in mnemonic or alternative processes.


Author(s):  
Benjamin O Barnett ◽  
Jeffrey A Brooks ◽  
Jonathan B Freeman

Abstract Previous research has shown that social-conceptual associations, such as stereotypes, can influence the visual representation of faces and neural pattern responses in ventral temporal cortex (VTC) regions, such as the fusiform gyrus (FG). Current models suggest that this social-conceptual impact requires medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) feedback signals during perception. Backward masking can disrupt such signals, as it is a technique known to reduce functional connectivity between VTC regions and regions outside VTC. During functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), subjects passively viewed masked and unmasked faces, and following the scan, perceptual biases and stereotypical associations were assessed. Multi-voxel representations of faces across the VTC, and in the FG and mOFC, reflected stereotypically biased perceptions when faces were unmasked, but this effect was abolished when faces were masked. However, the VTC still retained the ability to process masked faces and was sensitive to their categorical distinctions. Functional connectivity analyses confirmed that masking disrupted mOFC–FG connectivity, which predicted a reduced impact of stereotypical associations in the FG. Taken together, our findings suggest that the biasing of face representations in line with stereotypical associations does not arise from intrinsic processing within the VTC and FG alone, but instead it depends in part on top-down feedback from the mOFC during perception.


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