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Plasticity of Persistent Activity and Its Constraints.
Sihai Li1, Xin Zhou1,2, Christos Constantinidis1
1Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, United States.
Frontiers in Neural Circuits
|June 13, 2020
Summary
Persistent activity in the prefrontal cortex maintains working memory. This neural activity is plastic, changing with task demands, age, and anatomical location, impacting intelligent behavior.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neurophysiology
Background:
- Working memory relies on persistent neural activity in the prefrontal cortex.
- This activity is supported by intrinsic network properties, including synaptic connectivity and specific interneurons.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review factors influencing persistent activity in the prefrontal cortex.
- To examine neurophysiological changes in persistent activity based on task demands and anatomical location.
Main Methods:
- Review of neurophysiological results from non-human primate studies.
- Analysis of firing rates, discharge variability, and synchronous spiking patterns.
Main Results:
- Persistent activity is modifiable by learning, task practice, and task switching.
- Anatomical location influences plasticity, with anterior/ventral areas showing greater changes.
- Age impacts persistent activity, with differences observed across adolescence, adulthood, and old age.
Conclusions:
- Prefrontal cortex persistent activity is a dynamic mechanism for working memory.
- Understanding these plastic changes is crucial for comprehending intelligent behavior mediated by the prefrontal cortex.
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