Cellular Mechanisms of Encoding Space-Time in the Monkey Brain

Suny Health Science Center At Brooklyn, Brooklyn NY

Investigators

Abstract

Cellular Mechanisms of Encoding Space-Time in the Monkey Brain Perceptions and memories are organized in brain in such a way that the spatial and temporal patterns of the original sensory stimuli are faithfully represented. This ability to encode space and time, intertwined as space-time in the physical world, is a fundamental feature of the nervous system. The cellular mechanisms of this encoding process in the primate brain are unclear. The present project employs a novel method to reveal how the neurons of the monkey hippocampus contribute to the encoding of space. Specifically, the firing of single hippocampal neurons are recorded for as long as 24 hours in squirrel monkeys moving freely on the walls and floor of a test chamber. During this period, the animals are performing a spatial memory task and allowed to eat, drink, rest and sleep. The hypothesis is tested that in these conditions most hippocampal neurons express a complex firing pattern tuned to process information on large sectors in space. Importantly, the experiments set the stage for examining the involvement of these cells in encoding time, as well. Thus, in the long run, this project will significantly contribute to the development of a unified concept on encoding space and time in the monkey brain. Such a concept should have a broad impact on cognitive neuroscience and should help to understand the uniquely sophisticated operation of the primate brain.