title: Theta-gamma coordination between anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortex indexes correct attention shifts.
abstract: Anterior cingulate and lateral prefrontal cortex (ACC/PFC) are believed to coordinate activity to flexibly prioritize the processing of goal-relevant over irrelevant information. This between-area coordination may be realized by common low-frequency excitability changes synchronizing segregated high-frequency activations. We tested this coordination hypothesis by recording in macaque ACC/PFC during the covert utilization of attention cues. We found robust increases of 5-10 Hz (theta) to 35-55 Hz (gamma) phase-amplitude correlation between ACC and PFC during successful attention shifts but not before errors. Cortical sites providing theta phases (i) showed a prominent cue-induced phase reset, (ii) were more likely in ACC than PFC, and (iii) hosted neurons with burst firing events that synchronized to distant gamma activity. These findings suggest that interareal theta-gamma correlations could follow mechanistically from a cue-triggered reactivation of rule memory that synchronizes theta across ACC/PFC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, ON M6J 1P3, Canada;
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Voloh
authors.affiliation: Division of Fundamental Neurobiology, Toronto Western Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5T 2S8, Canada; Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1P5, Canada;
authors.forename: Taufik A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Valiante
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Everling
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, ON M6J 1P3, Canada; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada thiwom@yorku.ca.
authors.forename: Thilo
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6921-4187
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Womelsdorf
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D003463:Cues; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D004594:Electrophysiology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D065818:Gamma Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000502:physiology*; D008251:Macaca; D008959:Models, Neurological; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D013826:Theta Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: anterior cingulate cortex; attention; gamma oscillation; prefrontal cortex; theta oscillation