Principal Investigator
Memory-Related Signals In the Prefrontal Cortex and in area MT
Activity during the memory delay.
In this project we are examining whether PFC neurons carry information about the remembered sample during the memory delay. Our results show that individual neurons do carry consistent stimulus-related signals throughout the delay. Rather this information appears at different times in different neurons suggesting the distributed nature of these signals. Putative pyramidal neurons (blue curves) were more active during the delay and are more likely to carry stimulus related signals. (Hussar & Pasternak, in preparation).
Comparison signals during the memory for motion task.
We find that responses of motion processing MT neurons during the comparison phase of the memory for motion task are modulated by the remembered sample, with some cells showing weaker test responses when test and sample directions match (A) and some cells firing more (B) on such trials. Similar signals are also present in the PFC (C). Our analysis suggests that MT neurons may be providing suppressive signals reflecting sample direction to the PFC, while late occurring enhancement signals may be originating in the PFC. Thus, during the test neurons in both areas have access to the remembered sample direction and participate in the comparison phase of the memory for motion task. (Lui & Pasternak, 2010, in preparation; Hussar & Pasternak, in preparation).
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