Effects Of Behavioral Context Research Articles

Behavior-dependent responses in primate frontal cortex neurons during natural behavior

Event Abstract Back to Event Behavior-dependent responses in primate frontal cortex neurons during natural behavior Primates are typified by their complex social systems and the sophisticated behaviors used to navigate them. Although relatively little research has been directly aimed at examining the neural substrates underlying primate social behaviors, it is clear that producing these behaviors requires an integration of both the sensory and motor information. While data on sensory-motor interactions in the primate cortex are available, relatively little remains known about this process in species - natural behaviors. Given the significance of natural behaviors in the evolutionary history and daily lives of nonhuman primates, empirical study of their underlying neural mechanisms may reveal unique insights into cortical functions. Here we recorded the single-unit activity of frontal cortex neurons in freely-moving common marmoset monkeys (Callithrix jacchus) engaged in a natural, species-typical behavior known as antiphonal calling, a vocal behavior involving the reciprocal exchange of vocalizations between conspecifics. Producing an antiphonal call is dependent upon first hearing a particular vocalization, a phee call, and producing the same call type in response. Importantly, the sequence of sensory and motor events in this behavior occurs over a 10-15s period of time. In our first set of analyses, we compared neural activity during each of the three elements of this behavior: sensory period (phee call stimulus), latency delay, and vocal-motor response (antiphonal call). The aim here was to determine whether neurons across the population showed firing rate changes during any of these three periods individually or in combination. Preliminary analyses revealed neuronal responses during each of these behavioral periods, with a population showing behaviorally modulated activity over the duration of the antiphonal calling behavior. This population of neurons typically showed one of two responses. The first class showed an increased firing rate during the phee stimulus and suppressed activity during the antiphonal call. The second class showed the inverse response, exhibiting suppression during phee stimulus and excitation during the antiphonal response. In our second set of analyses, we examined the effects of behavioral context of the neural response observed during antiphonal calling. Specifically, during test sessions, we presented subjects with phee call stimuli that did not elicit antiphonal callings and subjects produced phee calls spontaneously. As such, we tested whether neurons responded similarly during either the sensory stimulus or motor response alone compared to the same sensory or motor period during antiphonal calls. Our initial analysis suggests that the aforementioned "antiphonal calling" neurons show little response during the sensory stimulus and vocal-motor response independently. Together these data suggest that it is the sensory-motor integration during the antiphonal calling behavior that is driving the neural response. This study builds on our previous work examining the ethology and functional neuroanatomy of antiphonal calling in common marmosets. This work supported by grants from the NIH to CTM (F32 DC007022, K99 DC009007) and XW (R01 DC005808). Conference: Computational and systems neuroscience 2009, Salt Lake City, UT, United States, 26 Feb - 3 Mar, 2009. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Poster Presentations Citation: (2009). Behavior-dependent responses in primate frontal cortex neurons during natural behavior. Front. Syst. Neurosci. Conference Abstract: Computational and systems neuroscience 2009. doi: 10.3389/conf.neuro.06.2009.03.067 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 30 Jan 2009; Published Online: 30 Jan 2009. Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Google Google Scholar PubMed Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

The Effects of Stimulus Modality and Frequency of Stimulus Presentation on Cross-modal Distraction

Selective attention produces enhanced activity (attention-related modulations [ARMs]) in cortical regions corresponding to the attended modality and suppressed activity in cortical regions corresponding to the ignored modality. However, effects of behavioral context (e.g., temporal vs. spatial tasks) and basic stimulus properties (i.e., stimulus frequency) on ARMs are not fully understood. The current study used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate selectively attending and responding to either a visual or auditory metronome in the presence of asynchronous cross-modal distractors of 3 different frequencies (0.5, 1, and 2 Hz). Attending to auditory information while ignoring visual distractors was generally more efficient (i.e., required coordination of a smaller network) and less effortful (i.e., decreased interference and presence of ARMs) than attending to visual information while ignoring auditory distractors. However, these effects were modulated by stimulus frequency, as attempting to ignore auditory information resulted in the obligatory recruitment of auditory cortical areas during infrequent (0.5 Hz) stimulation. Robust ARMs were observed in both visual and auditory cortical areas at higher frequencies (2 Hz), indicating that participants effectively allocated attention to more rapidly presented targets. In summary, results provide neuroanatomical correlates for the dominance of the auditory modality in behavioral contexts that are highly dependent on temporal processing.

Effect of Behavioral Context on Representation of a Spatial Cue in Core Auditory Cortex of Awake Macaques

Primary auditory cortex plays a crucial role in spatially directed behavior, but little is known about the effect of behavioral state on the neural representation of spatial cues. Macaques were trained to discriminate binaural cues to sound localization, eventually allowing measurement of thresholds comparable to human hearing. During behavior and passive listening, single units in low-frequency auditory cortex showed robust and consistent tuning to interaural phase difference (IPD). In most neurons, behavior exerted an effect on peak discharge rate (58% increased, 13% decreased), but this was not accompanied by a detectable shift in the best IPD of any cell. Neurometric analysis revealed a difference in discriminability between the behaving and passive condition in half of the sample (52%), but steepening of the neurometric function (29%) was only slightly more common than flattening (23%). This suggests that performance of a discrimination task does not necessarily confer an advantage in understanding the representation of the spatial cue in primary auditory cortex but nevertheless revealed some physiological effects. These results suggest that responses observed during passive listening provide a valid representation of neuronal response properties in core auditory cortex.

Contextual modulation of substantia nigra pars reticulata neurons.

Neurons in the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) are known to encode saccadic eye movements within some, but not all, behavioral contexts. However, the precise contextual factors that effect the modulations of nigral activity are still uncertain. To further examine the effect of behavioral context on the SNr, we recorded the activity of 72 neurons while monkeys made saccades during a delayed saccade task and during periods of free viewing. We quantified and compared the movement fields of each neuron for saccades made under three different conditions: 1) spontaneous saccades, which shifted gaze during periods of free viewing when no stimuli were presented and no reinforcements were delivered; 2) fixational saccades, which brought gaze into alignment with a fixation target at the start of a delayed saccade trial, were necessary for trial completion, but were not directly followed by reinforcement; and 3) terminal saccades, which brought gaze into alignment with a visual target at the end of a delayed saccade trial and were directly followed by reinforcement. For three of the four SNr neuron classes, saccade-related modulations were only present before terminal saccades. For the fourth class, discrete pausers, saccade-related modulations were substantially larger for terminal saccades than for fixational saccades, and modulations were absent for spontaneous saccades. These results and other recent work on the basal ganglia suggest that some saccade-related signals in the SNr may be influenced by the reinforcement associated with a particular saccadic eye movement.

Effects of contextual and social variables on contact call production in free-ranging ringtailed lemurs (Lemur catta)

Ringtailed lemurs (Lemur catta)often emit a characteristic vocalization when resting as a troop. This “meow call” is believed to serve an intragroup contact function. I investigated the effects of behavioral context and proximity on call production and acoustic features of the vocalization in a free-ranging troop in the Berenty Reserve, Madagascar. When group members were dispersed, the meow call was given frequently, and the acoustic features of the call probably increased the locatability of the emitter. I evaluated social relationships among the troop members from grooming interactions and spacing data. I also studied the call exchange network among the troop members, the results of which indicate that calls are exchanged between the two subgroups of females, which they connect.

Control of orienting gaze shifts by the tectoreticulospinal system in the head-free cat. I. Identification, localization, and effects of behavior on sensory responses

1. The input-output connectivity, in cat, of tectoreticular (TRNs) and tectoreticulospinal (TRSNs) neurons [together called TR(S)Ns] suggests a role for these cells in the sensorimotor transformations necessary for controlling orienting behavior. Multimodal sensory information converges directly onto these tectal neurons, and they project to several brain stem and spinal cord centers involved in the control of eye- and head-orienting movements. In this and the following two papers, we describe the sensorimotor discharges of antidromically identified TR(S)Ns. Here we describe the process of localizing and identifying them, characteristics of both their antidromic and sensory responses, and effects of behavioral context on these responses. 2. In 13 alert, chronically prepared cats, a total of 293 neurons were antidromically identified from either the predorsal bundle (PDB) immediately rostral to abducens nucleus or the ventromedial funiculus of the spinal cord at the level of the first cervical vertebra (C1). The cell bodies of all identified TR(S)Ns were confined to the intermediate and deep laminae of the superior colliculus (SC). The antidromic nature of the action potential evoked by stimulating either the PDB or C1 was verified by the use of a number of established criteria, including collision testing. 3. The mean antidromic latency from the PDB (TRNs + TRSNs) was 0.84 +/- 0.59 (SD) ms (n = 217). The conduction velocities of all cells activated by PDB stimulation ranged from 4 to 40 m/s. The mean latency from C1 (TRSNs) was 1.03 +/- 0.52 ms (SD) (n = 64), whereas conduction velocities ranged from 14 to 80 m/s. 4. One hundred thirty-eight TR(S)Ns were studied long enough to yield significant data regarding their involvement in visuomotor-orienting behavior. Ninety-eight percent (130/133) of the TR(S)Ns tested for visual responses could be induced to discharge action potentials in response to some form of visual stimulation. The other three neurons remained silent, even in response to the most provocative stimuli. These silent neurons nevertheless were shown to be depolarized by visual stimuli. TR(S)Ns were occasionally tested for auditory and somatosensory responses and some were multimodal. 5. TR(S)Ns had visual receptive fields that conformed to the retinotopic map of the visual field that is represented within the SC. Cells found in the lateral SC had receptive fields located in the lower visual field, whereas neurons that were situated medially had receptive fields in the upper visual field. Cells found in the rostral SC had small fields that included a representation of the area centralis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Long loop participation of red nucleus in contact placing in the adult cat with facilitation by tactile input at the spinal level

This report focuses on the question ‘Why does stimulation of a few hairs of a cat's unsupported paw lead to biceps activation and contact placing (CP) while stimulation of the supported paw does not?’ The rubral system is used as the model; individual rubral neurons (RN) are recorded in the awake cat during CP and rubrospinal tract neurons (RTN) are identified by demonstrating antidromic invasion. Classes of RN were identified corresponding to each of the main stages of CP. In particular, a contingent, contact-locked category was identified, responding only if placing followed the contact. Another category, the pre-delayed movement-locked, responded 40–160 ms prior to delayed placing. Both of these categories imply that the rubral system dynamically participates (with other higher motor neurons) in CP, a conclusion strengthened by the positive relationship between RN discharge and movement parameters under varying load conditions. Physiological stimulation of the supported paw may fail to excite RN, which respond strongly to gentle contact of the unsupported paw (which leads to CP). Cooling or making permanent lesions in nucleus interpositus and dentatus drastically reduces resting and evoked RN and especially RTN activities in the awake cat. Some evidence of recovery was present by 4–6 weeks after the lesions. The effect of behavioral context was also studied on the biceps responses in the awake cat to a train of 3–4 pulses at 500 Hz delivered either to the red nucleus or to the rubrospinal tract (RT). The biceps responses were enhanced when the forepaw was removed from a support (the pre-condition for CP). When contact of the unsupported paw triggered the RT train, biceps responses were markedly facilitated and their latency was reduced from 8–10 ms to 5–7 ms. With such stimulation, tactile facilitation must be occurring at the spinal level. Thus, both at the red nucleus and at the spinal level, behavioral context influences the motor outcome from tactile stimulation.

The Effect of Behavioral Context on Information Selection and Differential Accuracy in a Person Perception Task

Summary The failure of earlier studies to find much evidence for differential accuracy may have been due to the methodology employed. Two modifications of the standard methodology were introduced in the present experiments: (a) the judges self-selected the information on which their judgments were based, and (b) the objective value of the information was specified. Groups of judges selected information with and without behavioral context, and received it with and without behavioral context. All groups achieved significantly greater differential accuracy than the control group. Although judges varied widely in their information preferences, the more accurate judges did not choose objectively better information. Behavioral context significantly increased accuracy only when provided during the information selection process. The second experiment replicated the major findings and further clarified the function of behavioral context. The results underline the necessity of distinguishing between objective and s...

The Effect of Behavioral Context on Some Aspects of Adult Disciplinary Practice and Affect

STEVENS-LONG, JUDITH. The Effect of Behavioral Context on Some Aspects of Adult Disciplinary Practice and Affect. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1973, 44, 476-484. Parents of elementary school children responded to videotaped sequences portraying either an overactive, an underactive, or an average-active child. Ss selected a disciplinary practice and recorded affect toward the children at 10 points during the sequences, 5 of which occurred after S viewed a brief incident of aggression by the child. The experimental hypotheses were that overactive children would be punished more severely than the other children; that the label emotionally disturbed would influence adult responses; and that affect and choice of discipline would be correlated. Analysis of variance generally supported these hypotheses, although there were interactions among aggression, activity level, and labeling for choice of discipline. Moreover, the underactive child evoked more severe punishment under some conditions than the average-active child.

The Effect of Behavioral Context on Some Aspects of Adult Disciplinary Practice and Affect

The Effect of Behavioral Context on Some Aspects of Adult Disciplinary Practice and Affect