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Full-Text Articles in Neuroscience and Neurobiology
Cortical Representation Of Learning Social Interactions In Freely Moving Non-Human Primates, Melissa Franch
Cortical Representation Of Learning Social Interactions In Freely Moving Non-Human Primates, Melissa Franch
Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)
The motivation and capacity to be social is necessary for human survival. Successful learning of complex, prosocial behavior stems from the ability to perceive and respond to visual cues, such as the body language and facial expressions, from others in our environment. This dependence on visual information to guide social interaction is especially true for humans and non-human primates. Although recent studies in primate neurophysiology discovered neurons that can encode socially relevant variables, like reward and social actions, the underlying neural mechanisms of learning advanced social concepts, such as cooperation, are not well understood. Further, previous work has identified …
The Impact Of Cortical State On Neural Coding And Behavior, Charles Beaman
The Impact Of Cortical State On Neural Coding And Behavior, Charles Beaman
Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)
The brain is never truly silent – up to 80% of its energy budget is expended during ongoing activity in the absence of sensory input. Previous research has shown that sensory neurons are not exclusively influenced by external stimuli but rather reflect interactions between sensory inputs and the ongoing activity of the brain. Yet, whether fluctuations in the state of cortical networks influence sensory coding in neural circuits and the behavior of the animal are unknown. To shed light on this issue, we conducted multi-unit electrophysiology experiments in visual areas V1 and V4 of behaving monkeys. First, we studied the …