Asymmetric effective connectivity between primate anterior cingulate and lateral prefrontal cortex revealed by
Verónica Nácher1, Seyed Alireza Hassani2,3, Thilo Womelsdorf4,5
1Centre for Vision Research, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada. vnacherc@yorku.ca.
Brain Structure & Function
|December 4, 2018
Summary
Researchers found asymmetric connectivity between the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and lateral prefrontal cortex (lPFC) in primates. This asymmetry influences attention and goal-directed behavior.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Primate Brain Research
Background:
- The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and lateral prefrontal cortex (lPFC) are crucial for attention.
- Previous studies suggest potential asymmetric functional interactions between dACC and lPFC.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate effective connectivity asymmetries between the dACC and lPFC in awake non-human primates.
- To characterize the temporal patterning and latencies of these connections.
Main Methods:
- Electrical microstimulation was used to probe effective connectivity between dACC and lPFC in awake monkeys.
- Evoked field potentials (EFPs) were recorded and analyzed for latency and waveform characteristics.
Main Results:
- dACC stimulation evoked multiphasic EFPs in the lPFC more frequently than vice versa, with patterns suggesting beta-frequency resonance.
- Stimulation from dACC to lPFC resulted in shorter latency EFPs compared to lPFC to dACC.
- Connectivity strength and latency showed significant variation based on the anterior-posterior location.
Conclusions:
- Systematic asymmetries in effective connectivity exist between the dACC and lPFC in non-human primates.
- These findings highlight the spatial and temporal patchiness of synaptic connections.
- Understanding these connectivity profiles is vital for elucidating neural interactions in goal-directed behavior.
Keywords:
Anterior cingulate cortexCortical mappingEffective connectivityElectrical stimulationLateral prefrontal cortexMonkeyMore Related Videos
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