Reversible Cooling-induced Deactivations to Study Cortical Contributions to Obstacle Memory in the Walking Cat

Wong, Carmen; Lomber, Stephen G.

doi:10.3791/56196

Cited by 2 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 22 publications

(33 reference statements)

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“…During this time, the obstacle was covertly removed from the walkway before locomotion resumed. In comparison to obstacle-absent trials (OA), elevated hindleg stepping observed during OP continuation demonstrated the ability of animals to remember the obstacle over which the forelegs stepped ( Figure 1B) [4,8,9].…”

Section: Modulated Ppc Activity During Wm-guided Obstacle Negotiationmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Obstacle WM was assessed by comparing obstructed (OP) with unobstructed (OA) locomotion using the same apparatus described previously [8][9][10]. In OP trials, each animal approached and stepped over a 25.8 cm wide x 8.7 cm high x 3 mm thick obstacle raised onto the surface of the walkway ( Figure 1A).…”

Section: Behavioral Paradigmmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When walking resumes, elevated hindleg stepping observed even after delays tested up to 10 min demonstrates a robust, long-lasting WM of the obstacle used to guide hindleg clearance. We previously used cooling-induced cortical deactivations [7,8] to demonstrate the role of the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) in this WM-guided behavior [9,10]. When deactivations are temporally restricted to the delay during which obstacle information must be retained, WM deficits precluding successful obstacle avoidance implicates parietal area 5 in WM maintenance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Stable Delay Period Representations in the Posterior Parietal Cortex Facilitate Working-Memory-Guided Obstacle Negotiation

Wong

Lomber

2019

Current Biology

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Highlights d Parietal cortex activity is modulated when hindleg obstacle clearance is delayed d Information about the obstacle and foreleg clearance is stored in working memory d This information is recalled later in the delay to guide hindleg clearance d Sustained delay period activity maintains this information stably in working memory Authors Carmen Wong, Stephen G. Lomber Correspondence steve.lomber@uwo.ca In BriefWong and Lomber characterize the neural correlates of working memory involved in quadrupedal obstacle locomotion. When obstacle clearance is delayed, neurons within parietal area 5 of the cat retain obstacle-related information in order to guide hindleg stepping over the remembered obstacle once walking resumes. SUMMARYIn complex environments, information about surrounding obstacles is stored in working memory (WM) and used to coordinate appropriate movements for avoidance. In quadrupeds, this WM system is particularly important for guiding hindleg stepping, as an animal can no longer see the obstacle underneath the body following foreleg clearance. Such obstacle WM involves the posterior parietal cortex (PPC), as deactivation of area 5 incurs WM deficits, precluding successful avoidance. However, the neural underpinnings of this involvement remain undefined. To reveal the neural substrates of this behavior, microelectrode arrays were implanted to record neuronal activity in area 5 during an obstacle WM task in cats. Early in the WM delay, neurons were modulated generally by obstacle presence or more specifically in relation to foreleg step height. Thus, information about the obstacle or about foreleg clearance can be retained in WM. In a separate set of neurons, this information was recalled later in the delay in order to plan subsequent hindleg stepping. Such early and late delay period signals were temporally bridged by neurons exhibiting obstacle-modulated activity sustained throughout the delay. These neurons represented a specialized subset of all recorded neurons, which maintained stable information coding across the WM delay. Ultimately, these various patterns of task-related modulation enable stable representations of obstacle-related information within the PPC to support successful WM-guided obstacle negotiation in the cat.

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Section: Modulated Ppc Activity During Wm-guided Obstacle Negotiationmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Behavioral Paradigmmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Stable Delay Period Representations in the Posterior Parietal Cortex Facilitate Working-Memory-Guided Obstacle Negotiation

Wong

Lomber

2019

Current Biology

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“…The same apparatus described in Wong et al (2016), Wong and Lomber (2017) was used to assess visual and tactile obstacle working memory in the present study. Each cat was trained to walk along an 8-foot long runway.…”

Section: Apparatusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contributions of Parietal Cortex to the Working Memory of an Obstacle Acquired Visually or Tactilely in the Locomoting Cat

2017

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A working memory of obstacles is essential for navigating complex, cluttered terrain. In quadrupeds, it has been proposed that parietal cortical areas related to movement planning and working memory may be important for guiding the hindlegs over an obstacle previously cleared by the forelegs. To test this hypothesis, parietal areas 5 and 7 were reversibly deactivated in walking cats. The working memory of an obstacle was assessed in both a visually dependent and tactilely dependent paradigm. Reversible bilateral deactivation of area 5, but not area 7, altered hindleg stepping in a manner indicating that the animals did not recall the obstacle over which their forelegs had stepped. Similar deficits were observed when area 5 deactivation was restricted to the delay during which obstacle memory must be maintained. Furthermore, partial memory recovery observed when area 5 function was deactivated and restored within this maintenance period suggests that the deactivation may suppress, but not eliminate, the working memory of an obstacle. As area 5 deactivations incurred similar memory deficits in both visual and tactile obstacle working memory paradigms, parietal area 5 is critical for maintaining the working memory of an obstacle acquired via vision or touch that is used to modify stepping for avoidance.

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Reversible Cooling-induced Deactivations to Study Cortical Contributions to Obstacle Memory in the Walking Cat

Cited by 2 publications

References 22 publications

Stable Delay Period Representations in the Posterior Parietal Cortex Facilitate Working-Memory-Guided Obstacle Negotiation

Stable Delay Period Representations in the Posterior Parietal Cortex Facilitate Working-Memory-Guided Obstacle Negotiation

Contributions of Parietal Cortex to the Working Memory of an Obstacle Acquired Visually or Tactilely in the Locomoting Cat

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