Biomaterial Database

Properties of delay-period neuronal activity in the primate prefrontal cortex during memory- and sensory-guided saccade tasks. 2004

Satoshi Tsujimoto, and Toshiyuki Sawaguchi

Laboratory of Cognitive Neurobiology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, N15W7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.

The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is involved in visuospatial short-term (or working) memory. Its cellular basis has been widely examined using the delayed-response paradigm in nonhuman primates. Sustained delay-period activity in DLPFC neurons with directional difference (i.e. directional delay-period activity) has been thought to represent visuospatial short-term (or working) memory. However, little is known about the activity of these neurons during a delay period when the sensory input remains. To address this issue, we examined neuronal activity in the DLPFC while macaque monkeys performed a memory-guided saccade (MGS) task and a delayed visually guided saccade (VGS) task. The MGS task required a memory-guided saccade for a remembered target location. The VGS task had the same temporal sequence as the MGS task, but the sensory stimulus remained during the delay period. We found that most of the DLPFC neurons with directional delay-period activity showed sustained activation during the 'delay' period in the VGS task only ('V-neurons', 49%), or in both tasks ('MV-neurons', 46%). Neurons showing directional delay-period activity in the MGS task only ('M-neurons') were only 5% of the DLPFC neurons with directional delay-period activity. These findings indicate that most DLPFC neurons that are active during the delay period are also active when the sensory stimulus remains, suggesting that DLPFC neurons driven by mnemonic information are also driven by sensory input. Such sustained representation of information should have potential utility in flexible cognitive controls of behaviour.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008251	Macaca	A genus of the subfamily CERCOPITHECINAE, family CERCOPITHECIDAE, consisting of 16 species inhabiting forests of Africa, Asia, and the islands of Borneo, Philippines, and Celebes.	Ape, Barbary,Ape, Black,Ape, Celebes,Barbary Ape,Black Ape,Celebes Ape,Macaque,Apes, Barbary,Apes, Black,Apes, Celebes,Barbary Apes,Black Apes,Celebes Apes,Macacas,Macaques
D008297	Male		Males
D008568	Memory	Complex mental function having four distinct phases: (1) memorizing or learning, (2) retention, (3) recall, and (4) recognition. Clinically, it is usually subdivided into immediate, recent, and remote memory.
D009474	Neurons	The basic cellular units of nervous tissue. Each neuron consists of a body, an axon, and dendrites. Their purpose is to receive, conduct, and transmit impulses in the NERVOUS SYSTEM.	Nerve Cells,Cell, Nerve,Cells, Nerve,Nerve Cell,Neuron
D011597	Psychomotor Performance	The coordination of a sensory or ideational (cognitive) process and a motor activity.	Perceptual Motor Performance,Sensory Motor Performance,Visual Motor Coordination,Coordination, Visual Motor,Coordinations, Visual Motor,Motor Coordination, Visual,Motor Coordinations, Visual,Motor Performance, Perceptual,Motor Performance, Sensory,Motor Performances, Perceptual,Motor Performances, Sensory,Perceptual Motor Performances,Performance, Perceptual Motor,Performance, Psychomotor,Performance, Sensory Motor,Performances, Perceptual Motor,Performances, Psychomotor,Performances, Sensory Motor,Psychomotor Performances,Sensory Motor Performances,Visual Motor Coordinations
D000200	Action Potentials	Abrupt changes in the membrane potential that sweep along the CELL MEMBRANE of excitable cells in response to excitation stimuli.	Spike Potentials,Nerve Impulses,Action Potential,Impulse, Nerve,Impulses, Nerve,Nerve Impulse,Potential, Action,Potential, Spike,Potentials, Action,Potentials, Spike,Spike Potential
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012438	Saccades	An abrupt voluntary shift in ocular fixation from one point to another, as occurs in reading.	Pursuit, Saccadic,Saccadic Eye Movements,Eye Movement, Saccadic,Eye Movements, Saccadic,Movement, Saccadic Eye,Movements, Saccadic Eye,Pursuits, Saccadic,Saccade,Saccadic Eye Movement,Saccadic Pursuit,Saccadic Pursuits
D017397	Prefrontal Cortex	The rostral part of the frontal lobe, bounded by the inferior precentral fissure in humans, which receives projection fibers from the MEDIODORSAL NUCLEUS OF THE THALAMUS. The prefrontal cortex receives afferent fibers from numerous structures of the DIENCEPHALON; MESENCEPHALON; and LIMBIC SYSTEM as well as cortical afferents of visual, auditory, and somatic origin.	Anterior Prefrontal Cortex,Brodmann Area 10,Brodmann Area 11,Brodmann Area 12,Brodmann Area 47,Brodmann's Area 10,Brodmann's Area 11,Brodmann's Area 12,Brodmann's Area 47,Pars Orbitalis,Frontal Sulcus,Gyrus Frontalis Inferior,Gyrus Frontalis Superior,Gyrus Orbitalis,Gyrus Rectus,Inferior Frontal Gyrus,Lateral Orbitofrontal Cortex,Marginal Gyrus,Medial Frontal Gyrus,Olfactory Sulci,Orbital Area,Orbital Cortex,Orbital Gyri,Orbitofrontal Cortex,Orbitofrontal Gyri,Orbitofrontal Gyrus,Orbitofrontal Region,Rectal Gyrus,Rectus Gyrus,Straight Gyrus,Subcallosal Area,Superior Frontal Convolution,Superior Frontal Gyrus,Ventral Medial Prefrontal Cortex,Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex,Anterior Prefrontal Cortices,Area 10, Brodmann,Area 10, Brodmann's,Area 11, Brodmann,Area 11, Brodmann's,Area 12, Brodmann,Area 12, Brodmann's,Area 47, Brodmann,Area 47, Brodmann's,Area, Orbital,Area, Subcallosal,Brodmanns Area 10,Brodmanns Area 11,Brodmanns Area 12,Brodmanns Area 47,Convolution, Superior Frontal,Convolutions, Superior Frontal,Cortex, Anterior Prefrontal,Cortex, Lateral Orbitofrontal,Cortex, Orbital,Cortex, Orbitofrontal,Cortex, Prefrontal,Cortex, Ventromedial Prefrontal,Cortices, Ventromedial Prefrontal,Frontal Convolution, Superior,Frontal Gyrus, Inferior,Frontal Gyrus, Medial,Frontal Gyrus, Superior,Frontalis Superior, Gyrus,Gyrus, Inferior Frontal,Gyrus, Marginal,Gyrus, Medial Frontal,Gyrus, Orbital,Gyrus, Orbitofrontal,Gyrus, Rectal,Gyrus, Rectus,Gyrus, Straight,Gyrus, Superior Frontal,Inferior, Gyrus Frontalis,Lateral Orbitofrontal Cortices,Olfactory Sulcus,Orbital Areas,Orbital Cortices,Orbital Gyrus,Orbitalis, Pars,Orbitofrontal Cortex, Lateral,Orbitofrontal Cortices,Orbitofrontal Cortices, Lateral,Orbitofrontal Regions,Prefrontal Cortex, Anterior,Prefrontal Cortex, Ventromedial,Prefrontal Cortices, Anterior,Region, Orbitofrontal,Subcallosal Areas,Sulcus, Frontal,Superior Frontal Convolutions,Superior, Gyrus Frontalis,Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortices