Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory01:14

Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory

889
The cerebellum, while traditionally associated with motor control, also plays a crucial role in memory, particularly in procedural memory, which involves learning motor tasks that become automatic through repetition. For example, studies have shown that when the cerebellum is damaged, individuals or animals lose the ability to learn conditioned motor responses, such as the conditioned eye-blink response in classical conditioning experiments with rabbits. This study demonstrates the...
889
Association Areas of the Cortex01:21

Association Areas of the Cortex

8.3K
Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
8.3K
Working Memory01:24

Working Memory

681
Working memory refers to a combination of components, including short-term memory and attention, that allow an individual to hold information temporarily as we perform cognitive tasks. It is an essential cognitive function that enables the execution of complex tasks such as problem-solving, comprehension, and reasoning. Unlike short-term memory, which simply involves the storage of information for a brief period, working memory involves the active manipulation and processing of this...
681
Diencephalon: Thalamus and Information Relay01:27

Diencephalon: Thalamus and Information Relay

3.4K
The thalamus, often called “the gateway to the cerebral cortex,” is vital in processing and directing sensory and motor signals throughout the brain. Almost all inputs destined for the cerebral cortex, except for olfactory signals, are relayed through the thalamus. The thalamus is  a sophisticated relay station, channeling information from various brain regions to the cerebral cortex, as well as a filter, prioritizing certain signals over others based on current physiological...
3.4K
Indirect Motor Pathways01:22

Indirect Motor Pathways

2.9K
The indirect motor or extrapyramidal pathways originate in the brainstem, the lower portion of the brain that connects it to the spinal cord. They consist of several distinct tracts, each with specialized functions. The four main tracts of the indirect motor pathways are the vestibulospinal tract, the reticulospinal tract, the tectospinal tract, and the rubrospinal tract.
The vestibulospinal tract originates in the vestibular nuclei of the brainstem. The vestibular system detects changes in...
2.9K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Who sets the brakes on anxiety? A role for astrocytic histamine 3 receptors.

Neuron·2026
Same author

Varying patterns of association between cortical large-scale networks and subthalamic nucleus activity in Parkinson's disease.

NPJ Parkinson's disease·2026
Same author

Balancing acts: lateral hypothalamic circuits coordinating feeding, anxiety, and social interactions.

Reviews in endocrine & metabolic disorders·2026
Same author

Top-down regulation of ingestive behavior fragmentation.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

The deep brain stimulation response network in Parkinson's disease operates in the high beta band.

Brain : a journal of neurology·2026
Same author

Effect of deep brain stimulation on dysphagia in Parkinson's disease: mechanisms, evidence, and outlook.

Frontiers in aging neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Therapeutic potential of crude protein extracts from two Egyptian freshwater snails Lanistes carinatus and Bellamya unicolor.

Scientific reports·2026
Same journal

Microbial contamination of donor corneas and post-keratoplasty endophthalmitis: a comparison between Japanese and U.S. eye banks using cold storage.

Scientific reports·2026
Same journal

Prevalence and contributing factors of virological non-suppression among adult patients on first-line antiretroviral therapy in tertiary hospitals in Ethiopia.

Scientific reports·2026
Same journal

An in vitro comparison of color stability between alkasite and different restorative materials in various staining solutions.

Scientific reports·2026
Same journal

Toward accessible mRNA LNP formulation: systematic evaluation of mixing strategies and key parameters.

Scientific reports·2026
Same journal

A network analysis of personality traits, mentalizing, and psychological health in Chinese college students.

Scientific reports·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 17, 2025

An Appetitive Spatial Working Memory Task for Mice in a Semi-Automated 8-Arm Radial Maze, Reducing Fearful Memory Association in the Maze
14:24

An Appetitive Spatial Working Memory Task for Mice in a Semi-Automated 8-Arm Radial Maze, Reducing Fearful Memory Association in the Maze

Published on: July 29, 2025

1.3K

Prefrontal - subthalamic pathway supports action selection in a spatial working memory task.

Carla Heikenfeld1, Sara Mederos2, Changwan Chen3,4

  • 1Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.

Scientific Reports
|June 28, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Theta rhythmic coordination of gamma oscillations in the prefrontal-subthalamic pathway is crucial for action selection. Disrupting this coordination impairs decision-making in cognitively demanding tasks.

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Investigating the Effects of Mind-Body-Movement Practices on Brain Function
06:17

Author Spotlight: Investigating the Effects of Mind-Body-Movement Practices on Brain Function

Published on: January 26, 2024

2.5K
Online Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of Dorsomedial and Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex in Cognition Decision Making, and Cognitive Dissonance
13:20

Online Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of Dorsomedial and Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex in Cognition Decision Making, and Cognitive Dissonance

Published on: December 5, 2025

225

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 17, 2025

An Appetitive Spatial Working Memory Task for Mice in a Semi-Automated 8-Arm Radial Maze, Reducing Fearful Memory Association in the Maze
14:24

An Appetitive Spatial Working Memory Task for Mice in a Semi-Automated 8-Arm Radial Maze, Reducing Fearful Memory Association in the Maze

Published on: July 29, 2025

1.3K
Author Spotlight: Investigating the Effects of Mind-Body-Movement Practices on Brain Function
06:17

Author Spotlight: Investigating the Effects of Mind-Body-Movement Practices on Brain Function

Published on: January 26, 2024

2.5K
Online Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of Dorsomedial and Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex in Cognition Decision Making, and Cognitive Dissonance
13:20

Online Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of Dorsomedial and Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex in Cognition Decision Making, and Cognitive Dissonance

Published on: December 5, 2025

225

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Science
  • Computational Neuroscience

Background:

  • The subthalamic nucleus (STN) is vital in basal ganglia function and a key target for treating movement disorders.
  • Deep brain stimulation of the STN can paradoxically impair decision-making, particularly in choosing between conflicting options.
  • The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) projects to the subthalamic region (ST), but the coordination between these areas and its role in decision-making remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the coordination of neural oscillations between the mPFC and ST.
  • To determine the role of prefrontal-subthalamic pathway coordination in decision-making and anxiety-related behaviors.
  • To explore the impact of manipulating theta/gamma cross-frequency coupling on cognitive tasks.

Main Methods:

  • Electrophysiological recordings in mice performing a spatial working memory task (T-maze) and an elevated plus maze (anxiety test).
  • Optogenetic manipulation of projections from the mPFC to the ST.
  • Analysis of theta (5-10 Hz) and gamma (30-70 Hz) oscillations and their cross-frequency coupling.

Main Results:

  • Gamma oscillations in the mPFC and ST were coordinated at theta and sub-theta frequencies.
  • Optogenetic disruption of theta/gamma cross-frequency coupling in the mPFC-ST pathway impaired T-maze performance.
  • Inhibition of the mPFC-ST pathway led to repeated incorrect choices, without affecting anxiety or motor activity.

Conclusions:

  • Theta rhythmic coordination of gamma oscillations in the prefrontal-subthalamic pathway is essential for action selection in demanding cognitive tasks.
  • Disruption of this pathway's oscillatory signaling impairs decision-making abilities.
  • Findings highlight the role of specific neural oscillatory dynamics in cognitive control.