Synchronization between inferior temporal and posterior parietal cortex during 3D shape discrimination

The inferior temporal cortex (IT) and anterior intraparietal cortex (AIP) are anatomically connected. It is unknown, however, whether both regions functionally interact with each other during visual perception. We simultaneously recorded local field potentials (LFPs) and multi-unit activity (MUA) in the lower bank of the superior temporal sulcus (area TEa) and in area AIP during a task in which a macaque monkey discriminated between concave and convex three-dimensional shapes. We employed spectral analyses to examine the possibility of synchronization between the simultaneously recorded neural signals from both regions. The data from two monkeys show that an elevated coherence was distinctly present in the beta-band (17-25 Hz). Interestingly, 300-400ms after stimulus onset, the beta-coherence became significantly modulated by the stereo-coherence. The effect of stereo-coherence was also present in the beta-band of the coherence between the MUA of AIP and the LFP of IT but not vice versa, i.e. not between the MUA of IT and the LFP of AIP. These results suggests a functional connectivity between two highly separated regions in the dorsal and ventral stream that starts in AIP and ends in IT, a hypothesis corroborated by a Granger causality analysis between the LFPs of both regions.

Registration and Abstract submission form for the 8th meeting of the Belgian Society for Neuroscience, Liege 2009 form received!

Your Registration and Abstract submission form for the 8th meeting of the Belgian Society for Neuroscience, Liege 2009 form has been processed successfully!

A database-record whith user-id UID832924704 has been generated / updated, please note this key.

If you have questions about your Registration and Abstract submission form for the 8th meeting of the Belgian Society for Neuroscience, Liege 2009 form or the response you have received, please include this user-id in your e-mail.
Then we can ensure you that we will be able to serve you more efficiently.