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Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings
Published on: August 1, 2018
A change detection approach to study visual working memory of the macaque monkey.
Evelien Heyselaar1, Kevin Johnston, Martin Paré
1Centre for Neuroscience Studies Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Journal of Vision
|March 16, 2011
Summary
Monkeys can hold multiple items in visual working memory, similar to humans. This study validates using monkeys to investigate the brain mechanisms behind remembering more than one piece of information.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Working memory capacity is limited, but animal models often use single-item tasks.
- Human studies use change detection to assess multi-item working memory.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate macaque monkeys' visual working memory for multiple items.
- To validate a monkey model for studying the neural basis of multi-item working memory.
Main Methods:
- Rhesus monkeys performed a change detection task.
- Monkeys identified color changes in arrays of 2-5 items after a 1-s delay.
- Responses were recorded via saccadic eye movements.
Main Results:
- Monkey performance decreased with more items but remained above chance.
- Monkeys successfully maintained multiple items in visual working memory.
Conclusions:
- Monkeys can simultaneously retain multiple visual items in working memory.
- This task is a valid model for exploring the neural mechanisms of multi-item working memory.
