Macaque prefrontal activity associated with extensive tool use.
Macaques can utilize tools sequentially on a single object or they can modify functions effectively in a relevant context. Two Japanese macaques were scanned by positron emission tomography with H(2)15O during a tool combination task and two control tasks (single tool task and simple stick-waving task). In the tool combination task, monkeys were required to use two identical tools properly in different functions. We found increased activity in the bilateral prefrontal cortex (area 9/46), bilateral intraparietal sulcus regions, right cerebellum, and bilateral early visual cortices during the tool combination task with the right hand, compared with the single tool task. These results suggest that interactions between the fronto-cerebellar and the fronto-parietal circuit are responsible for appropriate and effective modifications of tools in their functions.
Obayashi
Shigeru
S
Brain Imaging Project, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, CREST (JST), Chiba, Japan. ohbayash@nirs.go.jp
Suhara
Tetsuya
T
Nagai
Yuji
Y
Maeda
Jun
J
Hihara
Sayaka
S
Iriki
Atsushi
A
D000818:Animals; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D007092:Imagination / Q000502:physiology; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008251:Macaca / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology