A neural correlate of motivational conflict in the superior colliculus of the macaque.
نویسندگان
چکیده
Behavior is controlled by both external instructions and internal motives, but the actions demanded by each may be different. A common consequence of such a conflict is a delay in decision making and subsequent motor responses. It is unknown, however, what neural mechanisms underlie motivational conflict and associated response delay. To answer this question, we recorded single-neuron activity in the superior colliculus (SC) as macaque monkeys performed a visually guided, asymmetrically rewarded saccade task. A peripheral spot of light at one of two opposing positions was illuminated to indicate a saccade target. In a given block of trials, one position was associated with a big reward and the other with a small reward. The big-reward position was alternated across blocks. Behavioral analyses revealed that small-reward trials created a conflict between the instructed saccade to one position and the internally motivated, yet invalid saccade to the opposite position. We found that movement neurons in the SC temporally exhibited bursting activity after the appearance of the small-reward target opposite their movement field. This transient activity predicted the amount of response delay for upcoming saccades. Our data suggest that motivational conflict activates movement neurons in both colliculi, thereby delaying saccade initiation through intercollicular inhibitory interactions.
منابع مشابه
Short-latency category specific neural responses to human faces in macaque inferotemporal cortex
In this article I would present evidence to show that timing of the flow of neural signals within the ventral visual stream is a crucial part of the neural code for categorization of faces. We recorded the activity of 554 inferotemporal neurons from two macaque monkeys performing a fixation task. More than 1000 object images including human and non-primate animal faces were presented up to 10 t...
متن کاملShort-latency category specific neural responses to human faces in macaque inferotemporal cortex
In this article I would present evidence to show that timing of the flow of neural signals within the ventral visual stream is a crucial part of the neural code for categorization of faces. We recorded the activity of 554 inferotemporal neurons from two macaque monkeys performing a fixation task. More than 1000 object images including human and non-primate animal faces were presented up to 10 t...
متن کاملHistological and Biochemical Alterations in the Superior Colliculus and Lateral Geniculate Nucleus of Juvenile Rats Following Prenatal Exposure to Marijuana Smoke
Prenatal exposure to marijuana has been associated with a variety of brain deficits, as Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), its main active ingredient crosses the placenta and affects foetal brain development. Despite this effect, marijuana remains a commonly abused substance among pregnant women. In the current study, we examined the histological and biochemical changes in the superior colliculus (...
متن کاملDistribution of neurons projecting to the superior colliculus correlates with thick cytochrome oxidase stripes in macaque visual area V2.
In visual area V2 of macaque monkeys, cytochrome oxidase (CO) histochemistry reveals a pattern of alternating densely labeled thick and thin stripe compartments and lightly labeled interstripe compartments. This modular organization has been associated with functionally separate pathways in the visual system. We examined this idea further by comparing the pattern of CO stripes with the distribu...
متن کاملذخیره در منابع من
با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید
عنوان ژورنال:
- Journal of neurophysiology
دوره 100 3 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2008