The chronometry of single neuron activity: testing discrete and continuous models of information processing

J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform. 2000 Oct;26(5):1622-38. doi: 10.1037//0096-1523.26.5.1622.

Abstract

The authors propose to study information transmission by comparing the effects of experimental factors on reaction time (RT) with the latency of the changes in activity of single-neurons. An experiment was conducted in which a monkey (Macaca mulatta) performed a tactilo-manual 2-choice RT task and the compatibility of the stimulus-response mapping was manipulated. Task-related neurons were recorded in the monkey's primary somesthetic and motor cortices. The changes in activity of 105 of these neurons were classified either as sensory-like or as motor-like. The sensory-like changes occurred before the motor-like ones. The stimulus-response mapping exerted its entire effect on the RT after the sensory-like changes and before the motor-like ones. These findings suggest that the information was transmitted discretely from the processes affected by the mapping to the processes implemented by the motor-like changes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal / physiology
  • Chronobiology Phenomena / physiology*
  • Electrophysiology
  • Macaca mulatta
  • Male
  • Models, Psychological*
  • Motor Cortex / physiology
  • Neurons / physiology*
  • Reaction Time