Event-related neuronal responses in the human strio-pallido-thalamic system. II. Cognitive functions.
Multiunit activity was recorded from the strio-pallido-thalamic system in the same parkinsonian patients (as described in the previous paper) who bore gold electrodes for diagnosis and therapy. The patients voluntarily participated in various tasks designed to study neuronal correlates of cognitive functions: "odd-omissions," "short-term memory," "cued bimodal," "assessment," and "dual-stage delayed response" tasks. Preparatory-related activities were found in multiunits reacting to sensory cues. In a few multiunits these activities depended upon the specific features of the stimuli that were anticipated for evaluation. The most striking characteristic of stimulus-related activity was the suppression of the multiunit responses when the stimuli become behaviourally meaningless. The hypothesis of action programming is discussed: the loop, including the cortex, neostriatum, pallidum and appropriate parts of the thalamus, is involved in the selection of actions, thus providing the organization of sequential behaviour.
Kropotov
J D
JD
Human Brain Institute, Academy of Sciences U.S.S.R., St. Petersburg.
Etlinger
S C
SC
Ponomarev
V A
VA
Kuznetzov
M A
MA
Trofimova
L G
LG
D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000502:physiology; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005917:Globus Pallidus / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011930:Reaction Time; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013788:Thalamus / Q000502:physiology