Prefrontal cortex (PFC) is critical for a wide range of cognitive and social behaviors. Damage to PFC from neurological disease results in profound alterations in goal directed behavior. We will utilize a unique cohort of to examine several proposed PFC dependent behaviors. We will employ electrophysiological and behavioral approaches to determine the contribution of human prefrontal cortex to top-down control of visual processing, visual and auditory short-term memory and visual and auditory contextual processing. To achieve these three aims we will perform scalp electrophysiological studies in stroke patients with well characterized lesions restricted to lateral PFC. In separate experiments conducted under Specific Aim 4, we will record electrocorticographic (ECoG) signals from neurosurgical patients with chronic (4-7 day) subdural grid implants for localization of epilepsy. This will allow us to examine directly the cortical dynamics supporting some of the behaviors studied in Specific Aims 1-3.
Specific Aims 1 -3 will address 1) Does PFC control visual search and face processing? 2) Does PFC control visual and auditory short term memory stores? and 3) What is the role of PFC in utilizing contextual information to guide decision making in the auditory and visual modalities? These three aims we will use the lesion-electrophysiology method to determine whether PFC is critical to support the behavior and will delineate the temporal dynamics of PFC control of posterior cortex engagement during these behaviors.
Specific Aim 4 will examine whether ultra-high frequency gamma oscillations (60-200Hz) are generated in frontal and posterior cortices during attention, auditory memory and contextual processing. Further, we will examine whether theta frequency modulates high frequency gamma activity generated during cognitive processing. The research in Specific Aims 1-4 will employ event-related potential (ERR) recording and time frequency analysis extracted from either scalp EEC or ECoG data to achieve the proposed goals. The research program is built on previous work in our laboratory with an overarching goal to elucidate both the temporal dynamics and network properties of PFC contributions to cognitive processes frequently disordered in neurological disease. The work promises to provide novel insights into the neural mechanisms supporting normal and disordered cognition as well as providing information on patterns of neural re-organization subsequent to brain damage.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01NS021135-23
Application #
7575085
Study Section
Cognitive Neuroscience Study Section (COG)
Program Officer
Babcock, Debra J
Project Start
1985-09-09
Project End
2012-02-28
Budget Start
2009-03-01
Budget End
2010-02-28
Support Year
23
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$387,937
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Berkeley
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
124726725
City
Berkeley
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
94704
Helfrich, Randolph F; Fiebelkorn, Ian C; Szczepanski, Sara M et al. (2018) Neural Mechanisms of Sustained Attention Are Rhythmic. Neuron 99:854-865.e5
Helfrich, Randolph F; Mander, Bryce A; Jagust, William J et al. (2018) Old Brains Come Uncoupled in Sleep: Slow Wave-Spindle Synchrony, Brain Atrophy, and Forgetting. Neuron 97:221-230.e4
Piai, Vitória; Meyer, Lars; Dronkers, Nina F et al. (2017) Neuroplasticity of language in left-hemisphere stroke: Evidence linking subsecond electrophysiology and structural connections. Hum Brain Mapp 38:3151-3162
Fonken, Yvonne M; Rieger, Jochem W; Tzvi, Elinor et al. (2016) Frontal and motor cortex contributions to response inhibition: evidence from electrocorticography. J Neurophysiol 115:2224-36
Helfrich, Randolph F; Knight, Robert T (2016) Oscillatory Dynamics of Prefrontal Cognitive Control. Trends Cogn Sci 20:916-930
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Swann, Nicole C; de Hemptinne, Coralie; Aron, Adam R et al. (2015) Elevated synchrony in Parkinson disease detected with electroencephalography. Ann Neurol 78:742-50
Voytek, Bradley; Kayser, Andrew S; Badre, David et al. (2015) Oscillatory dynamics coordinating human frontal networks in support of goal maintenance. Nat Neurosci 18:1318-24
Potes, Cristhian; Brunner, Peter; Gunduz, Aysegul et al. (2014) Spatial and temporal relationships of electrocorticographic alpha and gamma activity during auditory processing. Neuroimage 97:188-95
Zhu, Lusha; Jenkins, Adrianna C; Set, Eric et al. (2014) Damage to dorsolateral prefrontal cortex affects tradeoffs between honesty and self-interest. Nat Neurosci 17:1319-21

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