Functional organization of frontoparietal cortex in the marmoset investigated with awake resting-state fMRI

Abstract

Frontoparietal networks contribute to complex cognitive functions in humans and macaques such as working memory, attention, task-switching, response suppression, grasping, reaching, and eye movement control. However, little is known about the organization of frontoparietal networks in the New World common marmoset monkey (Callithrix jacchus) which is now widely recognized as a powerful nonhuman primate experimental animal. In this study, we employed hierarchical clustering of interareal BOLD signals to investigate the hypothesis that the organization of the frontoparietal cortex in the marmoset follows the organizational principles of the macaque frontoparietal system. We found that the posterior part of the lateral frontal cortex (premotor regions) was functionally connected to the anterior parietal areas while more anterior frontal regions (frontal eye field (FEF)) were connected to more posterior parietal areas (the area around lateral intraparietal area (LIP)). These overarching patterns of inter-areal organization are consistent with a recent macaque study. These findings demonstrate parallel frontoparietal processing streams in marmosets and support the functional homologies of FEF-LIP and premotor-anterior parietal pathways between marmoset and macaque.

Fast prediction in marmoset reach-to-grasp movements for dynamic prey

“…Their cortical surface is lissencephalic, which facilitates access to visual, parietal, and frontal brain areas for array recordings, imaging, and optogenetic stimulation. Marmosets perform visually-guided reaching in natural conditions during foraging, locomotion, social interaction, and hunting (Schiel et al ., 2010; Mitchell & Leopold, 2015; Schiel & Souto, 2017; Mundinano et al ., 2018; Hori et al ., 2021). While marmoset reaching behavior has been studied in the field (Schiel et al ., 2010) and using other tracking approaches (Takemi et al ., 2014; Moore et al ., 2022), only recently has there been any progress examining reaching for dynamic targets (insects) in the field (Ngo et al ., 2022).…”