Cargando…
Executive control processes underlying multi-item working memory
A dominant view of prefrontal cortex (PFC) function is that it stores task-relevant information in working memory. To examine this and determine how it applies when multiple pieces of information must be stored, we trained two macaque monkeys to perform a multi-item color change-detection task and r...
Autores principales: | , |
---|---|
Formato: | Online Artículo Texto |
Lenguaje: | English |
Publicado: |
2014
|
Materias: | |
Acceso en línea: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4039364/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24747574 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nn.3702 |
_version_ | 1782318475745689600 |
---|---|
author | Lara, Antonio H. Wallis, Jonathan D. |
author_facet | Lara, Antonio H. Wallis, Jonathan D. |
author_sort | Lara, Antonio H. |
collection | PubMed |
description | A dominant view of prefrontal cortex (PFC) function is that it stores task-relevant information in working memory. To examine this and determine how it applies when multiple pieces of information must be stored, we trained two macaque monkeys to perform a multi-item color change-detection task and recorded activity of neurons in PFC. Few neurons encoded the color of the items. Instead, the predominant encoding was spatial: a static signal reflecting the item's position and a dynamic signal reflecting the animal's covert attention. These findings challenge the notion that PFC stores task-relevant information. Instead, we suggest that the contribution of PFC is in controlling the allocation of resources to support working memory. In support of this, we found that increased power in the alpha and theta bands of PFC local field potentials, which are thought to reflect long-range communication with other brain areas, was correlated with more precise color representations. |
format | Online Article Text |
id | pubmed-4039364 |
institution | National Center for Biotechnology Information |
language | English |
publishDate | 2014 |
record_format | MEDLINE/PubMed |
spelling | pubmed-40393642014-12-01 Executive control processes underlying multi-item working memory Lara, Antonio H. Wallis, Jonathan D. Nat Neurosci Article A dominant view of prefrontal cortex (PFC) function is that it stores task-relevant information in working memory. To examine this and determine how it applies when multiple pieces of information must be stored, we trained two macaque monkeys to perform a multi-item color change-detection task and recorded activity of neurons in PFC. Few neurons encoded the color of the items. Instead, the predominant encoding was spatial: a static signal reflecting the item's position and a dynamic signal reflecting the animal's covert attention. These findings challenge the notion that PFC stores task-relevant information. Instead, we suggest that the contribution of PFC is in controlling the allocation of resources to support working memory. In support of this, we found that increased power in the alpha and theta bands of PFC local field potentials, which are thought to reflect long-range communication with other brain areas, was correlated with more precise color representations. 2014-04-20 2014-06 /pmc/articles/PMC4039364/ /pubmed/24747574 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nn.3702 Text en http://www.nature.com/authors/editorial_policies/license.html#terms Users may view, print, copy, and download text and data-mine the content in such documents, for the purposes of academic research, subject always to the full Conditions of use:http://www.nature.com/authors/editorial_policies/license.html#terms |
spellingShingle | Article Lara, Antonio H. Wallis, Jonathan D. Executive control processes underlying multi-item working memory |
title | Executive control processes underlying multi-item working memory |
title_full | Executive control processes underlying multi-item working memory |
title_fullStr | Executive control processes underlying multi-item working memory |
title_full_unstemmed | Executive control processes underlying multi-item working memory |
title_short | Executive control processes underlying multi-item working memory |
title_sort | executive control processes underlying multi-item working memory |
topic | Article |
url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4039364/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24747574 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nn.3702 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT laraantonioh executivecontrolprocessesunderlyingmultiitemworkingmemory AT wallisjonathand executivecontrolprocessesunderlyingmultiitemworkingmemory |