scholarly journals Neurophysiology of Prehension. I. Posterior Parietal Cortex and Object-Oriented Hand Behaviors

2007 ◽  
Vol 97 (1) ◽  
pp. 387-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esther P. Gardner ◽  
K. Srinivasa Babu ◽  
Shari D. Reitzen ◽  
Soumya Ghosh ◽  
Alice S. Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parietal Cortex ◽  
Posterior Parietal Cortex ◽  
Related Area ◽  
Firing Rates ◽  
Sensorimotor Transformations ◽  
Area 5 ◽  
On Line ◽  
Posterior Parietal ◽  
Neuronal Spike Trains ◽  
Task Goals

Hand manipulation neurons in areas 5 and 7b/anterior intraparietal area (AIP) of posterior parietal cortex were analyzed in three macaque monkeys during a trained prehension task. Digital video recordings of hand kinematics synchronized to neuronal spike trains were used to correlate firing rates of 128 neurons with hand actions as the animals grasped and lifted rectangular and round objects. We distinguished seven task stages: approach, contact, grasp, lift, hold, lower, and relax. Posterior parietal cortex (PPC) firing rates were highest during object acquisition; 88% of task-related area 5 neurons and 77% in AIP/7b fired maximally during stages 1, 2, or 3. Firing rates rose 200–500 ms before contact, peaked at contact, and declined after grasp was secured. 83% of area 5 neurons and 72% in AIP/7b showed significant increases in mean rates during approach as the fingers were preshaped for grasp. Somatosensory signals at contact provided feedback concerning the accuracy of reach and helped guide the hand to grasp sites. In error trials, tactile information was used to abort grasp, or to initiate corrective actions to achieve task goals. Firing rates declined as lift began. 41% of area 5 neurons and 38% in AIP/7b were inhibited during holding, and returned to baseline when grasp was relaxed. Anatomical connections suggest that area 5 provides somesthetic information to circuits linking AIP/7b to frontal motor areas involved in grasping. Area 5 may also participate in sensorimotor transformations coordinating reach and grasp behaviors and provide on-line feedback needed for goal-directed hand movements.

scholarly journals Neurophysiology of Prehension. III. Representation of Object Features in Posterior Parietal Cortex of the Macaque Monkey

2007 ◽  
Vol 98 (6) ◽  
pp. 3708-3730 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esther P. Gardner ◽  
K. Srinivasa Babu ◽  
Soumya Ghosh ◽  
Adam Sherwood ◽  
Jessie Chen
Keyword(s):  
Parietal Cortex ◽  
Posterior Parietal Cortex ◽  
Macaque Monkey ◽  
Firing Rates ◽  
Video Recordings ◽  
Object Properties ◽  
Area 5 ◽  
Somatosensory Input ◽  
Posterior Parietal ◽  
Object Features

Neurons in posterior parietal cortex (PPC) may serve both proprioceptive and exteroceptive functions during prehension, signaling hand actions and object properties. To assess these roles, we used digital video recordings to analyze responses of 83 hand-manipulation neurons in area 5 as monkeys grasped and lifted objects that differed in shape (round and rectangular), size (large and small spheres), and location (identical rectangular blocks placed lateral and medial to the shoulder). The task contained seven stages—approach, contact, grasp, lift, hold, lower, relax—plus a pretrial interval. The four test objects evoked similar spike trains and mean rate profiles that rose significantly above baseline from approach through lift, with peak activity at contact. Although representation by the spike train of specific hand actions was stronger than distinctions between grasped objects, 34% of these neurons showed statistically significant effects of object properties or hand postures on firing rates. Somatosensory input from the hand played an important role as firing rates diverged most prominently on contact as grasp was secured. The small sphere—grasped with the most flexed hand posture—evoked the highest firing rates in 43% of the population. Twenty-one percent distinguished spheres that differed in size and weight, and 14% discriminated spheres from rectangular blocks. Location in the workspace modulated response amplitude as objects placed across the midline evoked higher firing rates than positions lateral to the shoulder. We conclude that area 5 neurons, like those in area AIP, integrate object features, hand actions, and grasp postures during prehension.

scholarly journals Neural Representation of Hand Kinematics During Prehension in Posterior Parietal Cortex of the Macaque Monkey

2009 ◽  
Vol 102 (6) ◽  
pp. 3310-3328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessie Chen ◽  
Shari D. Reitzen ◽  
Jane B. Kohlenstein ◽  
Esther P. Gardner
Keyword(s):  
Parietal Cortex ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Posterior Parietal Cortex ◽  
Macaque Monkey ◽  
Neural Representation ◽  
Firing Rates ◽  
Hand Kinematics ◽  
Object Properties ◽  
Area 5 ◽  
Posterior Parietal

Studies of hand manipulation neurons in posterior parietal cortex of monkeys suggest that their spike trains represent objects by the hand postures needed for grasping or by the underlying patterns of muscle activation. To analyze the role of hand kinematics and object properties in a trained prehension task, we correlated the firing rates of neurons in anterior area 5 with hand behaviors as monkeys grasped and lifted knobs of different shapes and locations in the workspace. Trials were divided into four classes depending on the approach trajectory: forward, lateral, and local approaches, and regrasps. The task factors controlled by the animal—how and when he used the hand—appeared to play the principal roles in modulating firing rates of area 5 neurons. In all, 77% of neurons studied (58/75) showed significant effects of approach style on firing rates; 80% of the population responded at higher rates and for longer durations on forward or lateral approaches that included reaching, wrist rotation, and hand preshaping prior to contact, but only 13% distinguished the direction of reach. The higher firing rates in reach trials reflected not only the arm movements needed to direct the hand to the target before contact, but persisted through the contact, grasp, and lift stages. Moreover, the approach style exerted a stronger effect on firing rates than object features, such as shape and location, which were distinguished by half of the population. Forty-three percent of the neurons signaled both the object properties and the hand actions used to acquire them. However, the spread in firing rates evoked by each knob on reach and no-reach trials was greater than distinctions between different objects grasped with the same approach style. Our data provide clear evidence for synergies between reaching and grasping that may facilitate smooth, coordinated actions of the arm and hand.

Comparison of neuronal firing rates in somatosensory and posterior parietal cortex during prehension

2001 ◽  
Vol 137 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 269-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel J. Debowy ◽  
Soumya Ghosh ◽  
Esther P. Gardner ◽  
Jin Y. Ro
Keyword(s):  
Parietal Cortex ◽  
Posterior Parietal Cortex ◽  
Neuronal Firing ◽  
Firing Rates ◽  
Posterior Parietal

Lesions of Area 5 of the Posterior Parietal Cortex in the Cat Produce Errors in the Accuracy of Paw Placement During Visually Guided Locomotion

2007 ◽  
Vol 97 (3) ◽  
pp. 2339-2354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Lajoie ◽  
Trevor Drew
Keyword(s):  
Parietal Cortex ◽  
Posterior Parietal Cortex ◽  
Major Change ◽  
Single Step ◽  
Visually Guided ◽  
Double Step ◽  
Area 5 ◽  
Posterior Parietal ◽  
Step Over ◽  
Standard Strategy

We developed a novel locomotor task in which cats step over obstacles that move at a different speed from that of the treadmill on which the cat is walking: we refer to this as a visual dissociation locomotion task. Slowing the speed of the obstacle with respect to that of the treadmill sometimes led to a major change in strategy so that cats made two steps with the hindlimbs before stepping over the obstacle (double step strategy) instead of the single step (standard strategy) observed when the obstacle was at the same speed as the treadmill. In addition, in the step preceding the step over the obstacle, the paws were placed significantly closer to the obstacle in the visual dissociation task than when the treadmill and the obstacle were at the same speed. After unilateral lesion of area 5 of the posterior parietal cortex (PPC), the cats frequently hit the obstacle as they stepped over it, especially in the visual dissociation task. This locomotor deficit was linked to significant differences in the location in which the forelimbs were placed in the step preceding that over the obstacle compared with the prelesion control. Cats also frequently hit the obstacle with their hindlimbs even when the forelimbs negotiated the obstacle successfully; this suggests an important role for the posterior parietal cortex in the coordination of the forelimbs and hindlimbs. Together, these results suggest an important contribution of the PPC to the planning of visually guided gait modifications.

A Contribution of Area 5 of the Posterior Parietal Cortex to the Planning of Visually Guided Locomotion: Limb-Specific and Limb-Independent Effects

2010 ◽  
Vol 103 (2) ◽  
pp. 986-1006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacques-Étienne Andujar ◽  
Kim Lajoie ◽  
Trevor Drew
Keyword(s):  
Parietal Cortex ◽  
Posterior Parietal Cortex ◽  
Rhythmic Activity ◽  
Progressive Increase ◽  
Visually Guided ◽  
Step Cycle ◽  
Area 5 ◽  
Posterior Parietal ◽  
Gait Modification ◽  
Step Over

We tested the hypothesis that area 5 of the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) contributes to the planning of visually guided gait modifications. We recorded 121 neurons from the PPC of two cats during a task in which cats needed to process visual input to step over obstacles attached to a moving treadmill belt. During unobstructed locomotion, 64/121 (53%) of cells showed rhythmic activity. During steps over the obstacles, 102/121 (84%) of cells showed a significant change of their activity. Of these, 46/102 were unmodulated during the control task. We divided the 102 task-related cells into two groups on the basis of their discharge when the limb contralateral to the recording site was the first to pass over the obstacle. One group (41/102) was characterized by a brief, phasic discharge as the lead forelimb passed over the obstacle (Step-related cells). These cells were recorded primarily from area 5a. The other group (61/102) showed a progressive increase in activity prior to the onset of the swing phase in the modified limb and frequently diverged from control at least one step cycle before the gait modification (Step-advanced cells). Most of these cells were recorded in area 5b. In both groups, some cells maintained a fixed relationship to the activity of the contralateral forelimb regardless of which limb was the first to pass over the obstacle (limb-specific cells), whereas others changed their phase of activity so that they were always related to activity of the first limb to pass over the obstacle, either contralateral or ipsilateral (limb-independent cells). Limb-independent cells were more common among the Step-advanced cell population. We suggest that both populations of cells contribute to the gait modification and that the discharge characteristics of the Step-advanced cells are compatible with a contribution to the planning of the gait modification.

scholarly journals Reflexive and Preparatory Selection and Suppression of Salient Information in the Right and Left Posterior Parietal Cortex

2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1204-1214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmel Mevorach ◽  
Glyn W. Humphreys ◽  
Lilach Shalev
Keyword(s):  
Parietal Cortex ◽  
Posterior Parietal Cortex ◽  
Left Posterior ◽  
Preparatory Phase ◽  
Trigger Activity ◽  
On Line ◽  
Posterior Parietal ◽  
The Right ◽  
Two Sides ◽  
Selection Of

Attentional cues can trigger activity in the parietal cortex in anticipation of visual displays, and this activity may, in turn, induce changes in other areas of the visual cortex, hence, implementing attentional selection. In a recent TMS study [Mevorach, C., Humphreys, G. W., & Shalev, L. Opposite biases in salience-based selection for the left and right posterior parietal cortex. Nature Neuroscience, 9, 740–742, 2006b], it was shown that the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) can utilize the relative saliency (a nonspatial property) of a target and a distractor to bias visual selection. Furthermore, selection was lateralized so that the right PPC is engaged when salient information must be selected and the left PPC when the salient information must be ignored. However, it is not clear how the PPC implements these complementary forms of selection. Here we used on-line triple-pulse TMS over the right or left PPC prior to or after the onset of global/local displays. When delivered after the onset of the display, TMS to the right PPC disrupted the selection of the more salient aspect of the hierarchical letter. In contrast, left PPC TMS delivered prior to the onset of the stimulus disrupted responses to the lower saliency stimulus. These findings suggest that selection and suppression of saliency, rather than being “two sides of the same coin,” are fundamentally different processes. Selection of saliency seems to operate reflexively, whereas suppression of saliency relies on a preparatory phase that “sets up” the system in order to effectively ignore saliency.

Neurons in Area 5 of the Posterior Parietal Cortex in the Cat Contribute to Interlimb Coordination During Visually Guided Locomotion: A Role in Working Memory

2010 ◽  
Vol 103 (4) ◽  
pp. 2234-2254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Lajoie ◽  
Jacques-Étienne Andujar ◽  
Keir Pearson ◽  
Trevor Drew
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Parietal Cortex ◽  
Posterior Parietal Cortex ◽  
Interlimb Coordination ◽  
The Body ◽  
Visually Guided ◽  
Discharge Activity ◽  
Area 5 ◽  
Posterior Parietal ◽  
Step Over

We tested the hypothesis that area 5 of the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) contributes to interlimb coordination in locomotor tasks requiring visual guidance by recording neuronal activity in this area in three cats in two locomotor paradigms. In the first paradigm, cats were required to step over obstacles attached to a moving treadmill belt. We recorded 47 neurons that discharged in relationship to the hindlimbs. Of these, 31/47 discharged between the passage of the fore- and hindlimbs (FL-HL cells) over the obstacle. The activity of most of these neurons (25/31) was related to the fore- and hindlimb contralateral to the recording site when the contralateral forelimb was the first to pass over the obstacle. In many cells, discharge activity was limb-independent in that it was better related to the ipsilateral limbs when they were the first to step over the obstacle. The other 16/47 neurons discharged only when the hindlimbs stepped over the obstacle with the majority of these (12/16) discharging between the passage of the two hindlimbs over the obstacle. We tested 15/47 cells, including 11/47 FL-HL cells, in a second paradigm in which cats stepped over an obstacle on a walkway. Discharge activity in all of these cells was significantly modulated when the cat stepped over the obstacle and remained modified for periods of ≤1 min when forward progress of the cat was delayed with either the fore- and hindlimbs, or the two hindlimbs, straddling the obstacle. We suggest that neurons in area 5 of the PPC contribute to interlimb coordination during locomotion by estimating the spatial and temporal attributes of the obstacle with respect to the body. We further suggest that the discharge observed both during the steps over the obstacle and in the delayed locomotor paradigm is a neuronal correlate of working memory.

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