The study of the neural basis of spatial orientation and learning in rodents is currently providing an excellent testing ground for theories concerned both with how higher cognitive processing is carried out in the nervous system and with the biophysical dynamics of associative memory in neural networks. Neurons in the hippocampal formation appear not only to construct distributed representations of spatial location and orientation, but also to have the capability to recall these representations from memory when available sensory information is incomplete. Neurons in cortical structures intimately associated with the hippocampus appear to keep track of the animal's orientation in space independently of location, partly by making dynamic associations between visual landmarks and the integral of angular velocity information, at least some of which originates in the vestibular system. Finally, neurons in the posterior parietal cortex appear to code for the interaction between spatial location and specific movements in space in such a way as could enable the internal representation of the relationships among different parts of the environment. The studies proposed represent extensions of ongoing neurophysiological investigations in which small ensembles of single neurons are recorded from the aforementioned cortical structures during spatial behavior in rats. The principal goals are specifically to understand the neural interactions through which these high-level spatial computations are carried out, and more generally, to provide a conceptual and empirical framework for understanding the devastating consequences of damage or dysfunction in these structures in the human brain.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01NS020331-12
Application #
2263833
Study Section
Biopsychology Study Section (BPO)
Project Start
1984-03-01
Project End
1996-02-28
Budget Start
1994-03-01
Budget End
1996-02-28
Support Year
12
Fiscal Year
1994
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Arizona
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
City
Tucson
State
AZ
Country
United States
Zip Code
85721
Euston, David R; Gruber, Aaron J; McNaughton, Bruce L (2012) The role of medial prefrontal cortex in memory and decision making. Neuron 76:1057-70
Maurer, Andrew P; Burke, Sara N; Lipa, Peter et al. (2012) Greater running speeds result in altered hippocampal phase sequence dynamics. Hippocampus 22:737-47
Navratilova, Zaneta; Giocomo, Lisa M; Fellous, Jean-Marc et al. (2012) Phase precession and variable spatial scaling in a periodic attractor map model of medial entorhinal grid cells with realistic after-spike dynamics. Hippocampus 22:772-89
Johnson, Lise A; Euston, David R; Tatsuno, Masami et al. (2010) Stored-trace reactivation in rat prefrontal cortex is correlated with down-to-up state fluctuation density. J Neurosci 30:2650-61
Colgin, Laura L; Leutgeb, Stefan; Jezek, Karel et al. (2010) Attractor-map versus autoassociation based attractor dynamics in the hippocampal network. J Neurophysiol 104:35-50
Takehara-Nishiuchi, Kaori; McNaughton, Bruce L (2008) Spontaneous changes of neocortical code for associative memory during consolidation. Science 322:960-3
Euston, David R; Tatsuno, Masami; McNaughton, Bruce L (2007) Fast-forward playback of recent memory sequences in prefrontal cortex during sleep. Science 318:1147-50
Cowen, Stephen L; McNaughton, Bruce L (2007) Selective delay activity in the medial prefrontal cortex of the rat: contribution of sensorimotor information and contingency. J Neurophysiol 98:303-16
Maurer, Andrew P; McNaughton, Bruce L (2007) Network and intrinsic cellular mechanisms underlying theta phase precession of hippocampal neurons. Trends Neurosci 30:325-33
Lansink, Carien S; Bakker, Mattijs; Buster, Wietze et al. (2007) A split microdrive for simultaneous multi-electrode recordings from two brain areas in awake small animals. J Neurosci Methods 162:129-38

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