Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 31, 2026
09:45
New Variations for Strategy Set-shifting in the Rat
Published on: January 23, 2017
Mental rotation of the neuronal population vector
A P Georgopoulos1, J T Lurito, M Petrides
1Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|January 13, 1989
Summary
Researchers studied how rhesus monkeys mentally rotate movement vectors. Neuronal population vectors in the motor cortex rotated counterclockwise, providing direct evidence for mental rotation during arm movements.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Motor Control
Background:
- Understanding the neural basis of complex motor tasks is crucial.
- Mental rotation is a key cognitive process hypothesized to underlie such tasks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural mechanisms of mental rotation in motor control.
- To test the hypothesis that imagined movement vectors are mentally rotated.
Main Methods:
- Training a rhesus monkey to perform a counterclockwise arm movement task relative to a target light.
- Recording motor cortex neuronal activity during task performance.
- Computing the neuronal population vector over time.
Main Results:
- The neuronal population vector demonstrated a gradual counterclockwise rotation.
- This rotation occurred from the target light direction to the movement direction.
- An average rotation rate of 732 degrees per second was observed.
Conclusions:
- Direct neural evidence supports the mental rotation hypothesis for motor control.
- The neuronal population vector is a valuable tool for decoding cognitive operations.
- This study enhances understanding of how the brain plans and executes movements.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:38Cognitive Dissonance
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
04:49Robbers Cave
During the 1950s, the landmark Robbers Cave experiment demonstrated that when groups must compete with one another, intergroup conflict, hostility, and even violence may result. At the Oklahoman summer camp, two troops of boys—termed the Rattlers and the Eagles—took part in a week-long tournament. During this time, their negativity culminated in derogatory name-calling, fistfights, and even vandalism and destruction of property. However, this work also revealed that such tension could be...
01:25Cognitive Therapy
Cognitive therapy, pioneered by Aaron T. Beck in the 1960s, is a structured approach to addressing psychological distress by focusing on the influence of thoughts on emotions and behaviors. All cognitive therapies involve the basic assumption that human beings have control over their feelings, and that how individuals feel about something depends on how they think about it. Unlike psychoanalytic methods that delve into unconscious processes or humanistic approaches emphasizing...
01:24Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBTs) are grounded in the belief that our thoughts profoundly influence our emotions and actions. Advocates of CBT emphasize three core assumptions: first, that cognitions are identifiable and measurable; second, that they are central to psychological functioning; and third, that irrational or maladaptive beliefs can be replaced with rational and adaptive ones. This transformative approach to therapy has paved the way for specific models such as Albert Ellis's...
01:30Electroconvulsive Therapy
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), or shock therapy, remains a critical biomedical intervention for severe, treatment-resistant depression. While its origins can be traced back to Hippocrates' observations that malaria-induced convulsions alleviated mental illness, modern ECT has evolved significantly from its earlier, more primitive applications. First introduced in 1938 by Ugo Cerletti and his colleagues, ECT involves inducing controlled seizures using electrical currents. In its early years,...
01:25Interpersonal Psychotherapy
Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) is a structured, time-limited therapeutic approach initially developed to treat depression. It integrates key concepts from psychodynamic, humanistic, and cognitive-behavioral therapies, making it a uniquely eclectic framework. The therapy is rooted in the interpersonal theories of Adolph Meyer and Harry Stack Sullivan, as well as John Bowlby's attachment theory, and focuses on the interplay between interpersonal relationships and emotional well-being.