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Transferring Cognitive Tasks Between Brain Imaging Modalities: Implications for Task Design and Results Interpretation in fMRI Studies
Published on: September 22, 2014
Task-relevant output signals are sent from monkey dorsolateral prefrontal cortex to the superior colliculus during a
Kevin Johnston1, Stefan Everling
1Robarts Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada. kevinj@biomed.queensu.ca
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
|August 16, 2008
Summary
The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) sends task-relevant signals to the superior colliculus (SC) during spatial working memory tasks. This research provides direct evidence of DLPFC modulating other brain areas for cognitive control.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Primate Neurophysiology
Background:
- The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is crucial for visuospatial working memory.
- Cognitive control theories propose the DLPFC modulates connected structures.
- The output signals from DLPFC to target structures remain incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the output signals from the DLPFC to the superior colliculus (SC).
- To investigate the role of DLPFC-SC communication in spatial working memory.
Main Methods:
- Recorded activity of identified DLPFC-SC projection neurons in monkeys.
- Utilized a memory-guided saccade task requiring saccades to remembered locations.
Main Results:
- DLPFC neurons projected task-relevant signals to the SC.
- Some of these signals exhibited spatial tuning.
- Demonstrated direct communication between DLPFC and SC during a spatial working memory task.
Conclusions:
- Provides the first direct evidence of DLPFC sending task-relevant information to the SC.
- Supports the role of the DLPFC in directly modulating activity in connected brain areas.
- Highlights the importance of DLPFC-SC pathways in visuospatial working memory and cognitive control.
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