scholarly journals Using experience to improve: how errors shape behavior and brain activity in monkeys

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5395
Author(s):  
Jose L. Pardo-Vazquez ◽  
Carlos Acuña
Keyword(s):  
Neuronal Activity ◽  
Decision Process ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Single Cells ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Behavioral Performance ◽  
Previous Trial ◽  
Current Trial ◽  
Future Behavior

Previous works have shown that neurons from the ventral premotor cortex (PMv) represent several elements of perceptual decisions. One of the most striking findings was that, after the outcome of the choice is known, neurons from PMv encode all the information necessary for evaluating the decision process. These results prompted us to suggest that this cortical area could be involved in shaping future behavior. In this work, we have characterized neuronal activity and behavioral performance as a function of the outcome of the previous trial. We found that the outcome of the immediately previous trial (n−1) significantly changes, in the current trial (n), the activity of single cells and behavioral performance. The outcome of trial n−2, however, does not affect either behavior or neuronal activity. Moreover, the outcome of difficult trials had a greater impact on performance and recruited more PMv neurons than the outcome of easy trials. These results give strong support to our suggestion that PMv neurons evaluate the decision process and use this information to modify future behavior.

scholarly journals Using experience to improve: How errors shape behavior and brain activity in monkeys

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose L. Pardo-Vazquez ◽  
Carlos Acuña
Keyword(s):  
Neuronal Activity ◽  
Decision Process ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Single Cells ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Behavioral Performance ◽  
Previous Trial ◽  
Current Trial ◽  
Future Behavior

AbstractPrevious works have shown that neurons from the ventral premotor cortex (PMv) represent several elements of perceptual decisions. One of the most striking findings was that, after the outcome of the choice is known, neurons from PMv encode all the information necessary for evaluating the decision process. These results prompted us to suggest that this cortical area could be involved in shaping future behavior. In this work, we have characterized neuronal activity and behavioral performance as a function of the outcome of the previous trial. We found that the outcome of the immediately previous trial (n-1) significantly changes, in the current trial (n), the activity of single cells and behavioral performance. The outcome of trial n-2, however, does not affect either behavior or neuronal activity. Moreover, the outcome of difficult trials had a greater impact on performance and recruited more PMv neurons than the outcome of easy trials. These results give strong support to our suggestion that PMv neurons evaluate the decision process and use this information to modify future behavior.

Observation of neuronal activity using real-time voltage-sensitive dye imaging

1992 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 476-477
Author(s):  
John S. Kauer ◽  
Angel Cinelli ◽  
David Wellis ◽  
Joel White
Keyword(s):  
Neuronal Activity ◽  
Neural Circuits ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Single Cells ◽  
Pyramidal Cells ◽  
Optical Recording ◽  
Sensory Cells ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Prepyriform Cortex

Sensory systems are confronted with the problem of taking “information” in the outside world and encoding and manipulating it in forms that can be used in the neuronal world. A major challenge is to document how the transition between these worlds takes place (transduction) and, once it has taken place, how the data are manipulated by neural circuits (integration). Since the brain is an intrinsically parallel device, carrying out many functions simultaneously, it would appear as important to record brain activity in a similarly parallel manner as to record events in single cells and membranes. Optical recording of neuronal events offers a first step toward thing to observe events that are distributed among the cells and processes of a neuronal network.In the sense of smell odors appear to be encoded by activity distributed across many neurons at each level of the system studied so far, from the sensory cells in the nose to the pyramidal cells in prepyriform cortex (for review see). Thus, to elucidate how the molecular properties of odorants are represented by neurons it is probably necessary to observe the patterns of distributed activation. The distribution of activity across many neuronal elements, in contrast to representing odor molecules by dedicated “labelled lines”, confers redundancy and fault tolerance on a system that is crucial for complex behaviors that underly survival for many animals species, as well as providing flexibility for being sensitive to large numbers of compounds.

Prime Proportion Affects Masked Priming of Fixed and Free-Choice Responses

2010 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
pp. 360-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glen E. Bodner ◽  
Rehman Mulji
Keyword(s):  
Decision Process ◽  
Free Choice ◽  
Masked Priming ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Previous Trial ◽  
Target Response ◽  
Global Context ◽  
Sequential Trial

Left/right “fixed” responses to arrow targets are influenced by whether a masked arrow prime is congruent or incongruent with the required target response. Left/right “free-choice” responses on trials with ambiguous targets that are mixed among fixed trials are also influenced by masked arrow primes. We show that the magnitude of masked priming of both fixed and free-choice responses is greater when the proportion of fixed trials with congruent primes is .8 rather than .2. Unconscious manipulation of context can thus influence both fixed and free choices. Sequential trial analyses revealed that these effects of the overall prime context on fixed and free-choice priming can be modulated by the local context (i.e., the nature of the previous trial). Our results support accounts of masked priming that posit a memory-recruitment, activation, or decision process that is sensitive to aspects of both the local and global context.

Cerebral Processing of Acute Skin and Muscle Pain in Humans

1997 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 450-460 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Svensson ◽  
Satoshi Minoshima ◽  
Ahmad Beydoun ◽  
Thomas J. Morrow ◽  
Kenneth L. Casey
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Neuronal Activity ◽  
Muscle Pain ◽  
Pain Threshold ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Noxious Stimulation ◽  
Cutaneous Stimulation ◽  
Cerebral Processing

Svensson, Peter, Satoshi Minoshima, Ahmad Beydoun, Thomas J. Morrow, and Kenneth L. Casey. Cerebral processing of acute skin and muscle pain in humans. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 450–460, 1997. The human cerebral processing of noxious input from skin and muscle was compared with the use of positron emission tomography with intravenous H2 15O to detect changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) as an indicator of neuronal activity. During each of eight scans, 11 normal subjects rated the intensity of stimuli delivered to the nondominant (left) forearm on a scale ranging from 0 to 100 with 70 as pain threshold. Cutaneous pain was produced with a high-energy CO2 laser stimulator. Muscle pain was elicited with high-intensity intramuscular electrical stimulation. The mean ratings of perceived intensity for innocuous and noxious stimulation were32.6 ± 4.5 (SE) and 78.4 ± 1.7 for cutaneous stimulation and 15.4 ± 4.2 and 73.5 ± 1.4 for intramuscular stimulation. The pain intensity ratings and the differences between noxious and innocuous ratings were similar for cutaneous and intramuscular stimuli ( P > 0.05). After stereotactic registration, statistical pixel-by-pixel summation ( Z score) and volumes-of-interest (VOI) analyses of subtraction images were performed. Significant increases in rCBF to both noxious cutaneous and intramuscular stimulation were found in the contralateral secondary somatosensory cortex (SII) and inferior parietal lobule [Brodmann area (BA) 40]. Comparable levels of rCBF increase were found in the contralateral anterior insular cortex, thalamus, and ipsilateral cerebellum. Noxious cutaneous stimulation caused significant activation in the contralateral lateral prefrontal cortex (BA 10/46) and ipsilateral premotor cortex (BA 4/6). Noxious intramuscular stimulation evoked rCBF increases in the contralateral anterior cingulate cortex (BA 24) and subsignificant responses in the contralateral primary sensorimotor cortex (MI/SI) and lenticular nucleus. These activated cerebral structures may represent those recruited early in nociceptive processing because both forms of stimuli were near pain threshold. Correlation analyses showed a negative relationship between changes in rCBF for thalamus and MI/SI for cutaneous stimulation, and positive relationships between thalamus and anterior insula for both stimulus modalities. Direct statistical comparisons between innocuous cutaneous and intramuscular stimulation with the use of Z scores and VOI analyses showed no reliable differences between these two forms of noxious stimulation, indicating a substantial overlap in brain activation pattern. The comparison of noxious cutaneous and intramuscular stimulation indicated more activation in the premotor cortex, SII, and prefrontal cortex with cutaneous stimulation, but these differences did not reach statistical significance. The similar cerebral activation patterns suggest that the perceived differences between acute skin and muscle pain are mediated by differences in the intensity and temporospatial pattern of neuronal activity within similar sets of forebrain structures.

scholarly journals Increased connectivity among sensory and motor regions during visual and audiovisual speech perception

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan E Peelle ◽  
Brent Spehar ◽  
Michael S Jones ◽  
Sarah McConkey ◽  
Joel Myerson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Speech Perception ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Temporal Cortex ◽  
Primary Auditory Cortex ◽  
Visual Speech ◽  
Auditory Signal ◽  
Audiovisual Speech ◽  
Audiovisual Speech Perception

In everyday conversation, we usually process the talker's face as well as the sound of their voice. Access to visual speech information is particularly useful when the auditory signal is degraded. Here we used fMRI to monitor brain activity while adults (n = 60) were presented with visual-only, auditory-only, and audiovisual words. As expected, audiovisual speech perception recruited both auditory and visual cortex, with a trend towards increased recruitment of premotor cortex in more difficult conditions (for example, in substantial background noise). We then investigated neural connectivity using psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analysis with seed regions in both primary auditory cortex and primary visual cortex. Connectivity between auditory and visual cortices was stronger in audiovisual conditions than in unimodal conditions, including a wide network of regions in posterior temporal cortex and prefrontal cortex. Taken together, our results suggest a prominent role for cross-region synchronization in understanding both visual-only and audiovisual speech.

scholarly journals Fiber photometry does not reflect spiking activity in the striatum

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex A. Legaria ◽  
Julia A. Licholai ◽  
Alexxai V. Kravitz
Keyword(s):  
Neuronal Activity ◽  
Calcium Imaging ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Neural Population ◽  
Fluorescence Signal ◽  
Calcium Signals ◽  
Cellular Events ◽  
Neural Populations ◽  
Spiking Activity

AbstractFiber photometry recordings are commonly used as a proxy for neuronal activity, based on the assumption that increases in bulk calcium fluorescence reflect increases in spiking of the underlying neural population. However, this assumption has not been adequately tested. Here, using endoscopic calcium imaging in the striatum we report that the bulk fluorescence signal correlates weakly with somatic calcium signals, suggesting that this signal does not reflect spiking activity, but may instead reflect subthreshold changes in neuropil calcium. Consistent with this suggestion, the bulk fluorescence photometry signal correlated strongly with neuropil calcium signals extracted from these same endoscopic recordings. We further confirmed that photometry did not reflect striatal spiking activity with simultaneous in vivo extracellular electrophysiology and fiber photometry recordings in awake behaving mice. We conclude that the fiber photometry signal should not be considered a proxy for spiking activity in neural populations in the striatum.Significance statementFiber photometry is a technique for recording brain activity that has gained popularity in recent years due to it being an efficient and robust way to record the activity of genetically defined populations of neurons. However, it remains unclear what cellular events are reflected in the photometry signal. While it is often assumed that the photometry signal reflects changes in spiking of the underlying cell population, this has not been adequately tested. Here, we processed calcium imaging recordings to extract both somatic and non-somatic components of the imaging field, as well as a photometry signal from the whole field. Surprisingly, we found that the photometry signal correlated much more strongly with the non-somatic than the somatic signals. This suggests that the photometry signal most strongly reflects subthreshold changes in calcium, and not spiking. We confirmed this point with simultaneous fiber photometry and extracellular spiking recordings, again finding that photometry signals relate poorly to spiking in the striatum. Our results may change interpretations of studies that use fiber photometry as an index of spiking output of neural populations.

An fNIRS examination of executive function in bilingual young children

2020 ◽  
pp. 136700692095288
Author(s):  
Sha Xie ◽  
Dandan Wu ◽  
Jinfeng Yang ◽  
Jiutong Luo ◽  
Chunqi Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Group Membership ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Bilingual Children ◽  
Behavioral Performance ◽  
Immersion Program ◽  
Prefrontal Region ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Relationship

Aims: The present study aims to examine: (1) the relationship between young children’s bilingualism and their performance in the Dimensional Card Change Sort (DCCS) task; and (2) whether prefrontal activation was associated with children’s bilingualism and executive function. Methodology: Children performed three sessions of the DCCS and their brain activity during the task was measured using functional nearinfrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Data and analysis: A sample of bilingual children ( N = 49) was recruited from a preschool with an English immersion program. We examined whether children’s performance in the DCCS was related to their bilingualism and whether the changes in oxygenated hemoglobin in the prefrontal regions were related to their bilingualism and performance in the DCCS. Findings/conclusions: Results showed that children’s English ability was significantly correlated with their behavioral performance in DCCS, and predicted children’s group membership (pass or perseverate). Furthermore, children in the pass group significantly activated the prefrontal cortex than those in the perseverate group, and activation in the prefrontal region was significantly correlated with children’s English ability. Originality: The current study first examined the effect of children’s bilingualism on their executive function and prefrontal activation.

Neuronal Activity in Somatosensory Cortex of Monkeys Using a Precision Grip. I. Receptive Fields and Discharge Patterns

1999 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. 825-834 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iran Salimi ◽  
Thomas Brochier ◽  
Allan M. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Receptive Field ◽  
Somatosensory Cortex ◽  
Neuronal Activity ◽  
Single Cells ◽  
Precision Grip ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Pressure Change ◽  
Discharge Pattern ◽  
Cortical Cells ◽  
Discharge Patterns

Neuronal activity in somatosensory cortex of monkeys using a precision grip. I. Receptive fields and discharge patterns. Three adolescent Macaca fascicularis monkeys weighing between 3.5 and 4 kg were trained to use a precision grip to grasp a metal tab mounted on a low friction vertical track and to lift and hold it in a 12- to 25-mm position window for 1 s. The surface texture of the metal tab in contact with the fingers and the weight of the object could be varied. The activity of 386 single cells with cutaneous receptive fields contacting the metal tab were recorded in Brodmann’s areas 3b, 1, 2, 5, and 7 of the somatosensory cortex. In this first of a series of papers, we describe three types of discharge pattern, the receptive-field properties, and the anatomic distribution of the neurons. The majority of the receptive fields were cutaneous and covered less than one digit, and a χ2 test did not reveal any significant differences in the Brodmann’s areas representing the thumb and index finger. Two broad categories of discharge pattern cells were identified. The first category, dynamic cells, showed a brief increase in activity beginning near grip onset, which quickly subsided despite continued pressure applied to the receptive field. Some of the dynamic neurons responded to both skin indentation and release. The second category, static cells, had higher activity during the stationary holding phase of the task. These static neurons demonstrated varying degrees of sensitivity to rates of pressure change on the skin. The percentage of dynamic versus static cells was about equal for areas 3b, 2, 5, and 7. Only area 1 had a higher proportion of dynamic cells (76%). A third category was identified that contained cells with significant pregrip activity and included cortical cells with both dynamic or static discharge patterns. Cells in this category showed activity increases before movement in the absence of receptive-field stimulation, suggesting that, in addition to peripheral cutaneous input, these cells also receive strong excitation from movement-related regions of the brain.

Differential Involvement of Neurons in the Dorsal and Ventral Premotor Cortex During Processing of Visual Signals for Action Planning

2006 ◽  
Vol 95 (6) ◽  
pp. 3596-3616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eiji Hoshi ◽  
Jun Tanji
Keyword(s):  
Neuronal Activity ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Visual Cues ◽  
Target Location ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Action Planning ◽  
Visual Signals ◽  
Visual Cue ◽  
Ventral Premotor Cortex ◽  
Neuron Response

We examined neuronal activity in the dorsal and ventral premotor cortex (PMd and PMv, respectively) to explore the role of each motor area in processing visual signals for action planning. We recorded neuronal activity while monkeys performed a behavioral task during which two visual instruction cues were given successively with an intervening delay. One cue instructed the location of the target to be reached, and the other indicated which arm was to be used. We found that the properties of neuronal activity in the PMd and PMv differed in many respects. After the first cue was given, PMv neuron response mostly reflected the spatial position of the visual cue. In contrast, PMd neuron response also reflected what the visual cue instructed, such as which arm to be used or which target to be reached. After the second cue was given, PMv neurons initially responded to the cue's visuospatial features and later reflected what the two visual cues instructed, progressively increasing information about the target location. In contrast, the activity of the majority of PMd neurons responded to the second cue with activity reflecting a combination of information supplied by the first and second cues. Such activity, already reflecting a forthcoming action, appeared with short latencies (<400 ms) and persisted throughout the delay period. In addition, both the PMv and PMd showed bilateral representation on visuospatial information and motor-target or effector information. These results further elucidate the functional specialization of the PMd and PMv during the processing of visual information for action planning.

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