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Behavioral Assessment of Manual Dexterity in Non-Human Primates
Published on: November 11, 2011
Effects on executive function following damage to the prefrontal cortex in the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta)
Tara L Moore1, Stephen P Schettler, Ronald J Killiany
1Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, 715 Albany Street, W-701, Boston, MA 02118, USA. tlmoore@bu.edu
Behavioral Neuroscience
|April 1, 2009
Summary
Executive function, controlled by the prefrontal cortex (PFC), was studied in rhesus monkeys. Lesions to the dorsolateral PFC impaired their ability to abstract and shift response patterns on a category set-shifting task.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Executive function involves cognitive processes managed by the prefrontal cortex (PFC).
- Previous research on PFC damage in primates focused on recognition and working memory.
- A gap exists in assessing executive function components in nonhuman primate PFC research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of dorsolateral PFC lesions on executive function in rhesus monkeys.
- To adapt the human Wisconsin Card Sorting Test for use in nonhuman primates.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an adapted Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (category set-shifting task).
- Assessed rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) with bilateral dorsolateral PFC lesions.
- Task required establishing, maintaining, and shifting response patterns based on reward contingencies.
Main Results:
- Monkeys with dorsolateral PFC lesions demonstrated significant impairments.
- Impairments were observed in abstraction and establishing response patterns.
- Maintaining and shifting response patterns on the task were also negatively affected.
Conclusions:
- The dorsolateral PFC is crucial for executive functions, including abstraction and cognitive flexibility.
- The category set-shifting task is a viable tool for assessing executive function in rhesus monkeys.
- Findings contribute to understanding PFC functional parcellation and its role in complex cognition.
