Neural Correlates of Spatial Judgement during Object Construction in Parietal Cortex

Authors: Chafee, Matthew V.1; Crowe, David A.1; Averbeck, Bruno B.1; Georgopoulos, Apostolos P.1

Source: Cerebral Cortex, Volume 15, Number 9, September 2005 , pp. 1393-1413(21)

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Key:
Free Content - Free Content
New Content - New Content
Subscribed Content - Subscribed Content
Free Trial Content - Free Trial Content

Abstract:

We recorded the activity of parietal area 7a neurons in monkeys performing an object construction task. In each trial, a model object consisting of a variable arrangement of squares was presented, followed after a delay by a copy of the model object that was missing a single square. Monkeys replaced the missing square to reconstruct the model configuration. Activity of many 7a neurons varied systematically with the position of the missing square and predicted where monkeys were going to add parts to the object they were building. The location of the missing square was a computed spatial datum important to object construction which did not correlate with the retinal location of a visual stimulus or the direction of the required motor response. The population of cells coding this coordinate was generally inactive when the same spatial locations were made relevant by visual targets to which monkeys either planned saccades or directed attention in other behavioral contexts. The data suggest that some parietal neurons participate in neural representations of space that reflect spatial cognitive as opposed to sensorimotor processing, coding the results of spatial computations performed on visual stimuli to meet cognitive objectives.

Keywords: area 7a; constructional apraxia; primate; spatial attention; spatial cognition

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhi021

Affiliations: 1: Brain Sciences Center, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN 55417, USA,

Your trusted access to this article has expired.

The full text electronic article is available for purchase. You will be able to download the full text electronic article after payment.

$40.03 plus tax      Refund Policy

 

OR

Back to top

Key:
Free Content - Free Content
New Content - New Content
Subscribed Content - Subscribed Content
Free Trial Content - Free Trial Content
Share this item with others: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
Page Help Click here for Page Help
Shopping cart
Tools
Sign in






Need to register?
Sign up here
Text size: A | A | A | A