| Neuroscience Colloquia, New York University | |
| Additional Information, Spring 1999 | Return to colloquia listing |
| Speaker: | Bruce McNaughton |
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| Title: | Hippocampal Neural Ensembles: Less than a Map, More than an Autoassociator |
| Abstract: | I will address current issues and data on the nature and dynamics of hippocampal neural activity during behavion, and the spontaneous recall of this activity when the system is "off-line" . I will explore the extent to which current data support either the cognitive map or the general autoassociator/episodic memory theory, and discuss some of the issues that need to be resolved before a coherent theory of hippocampal encoding can be achieved. |
| Speaker: | Alexandra Joyner |
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| Title: | Dissection of Genetic Pathways Controlling CNS Patterning in the Mouse |
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| Speaker: | David Tank |
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| Title: | Cellular and Network Mechanisms of Persistent Neural Activity |
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| Speaker: | Charles Gilbert |
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| Title: | Dynamic Properties of Adult Visual Cortex |
| Abstract: | The response properties of cells in primary visual cortex indicate a role in contour integration and surface segmentation. These responses are as dependent on the global characteristics of contours and surfaces extending beyond their receptive fields as they are on the attributes of featuers within their receptive fields. Features in the receptive field surround can influence the selectivity of cells for features within the receptive field, and can alter even the dimensions of the receptive field itself. It is precisely these kinds of contextual influences that show the strongest attentional modulation in primary visual cortex. Contextual influences are also modified by perceptual learning, and the influence of learning is manifest in a task dependent fashion. The contextual influences, and their modulation by experience, attention and behavioral task are likely to involve an interaction between long range connections within primary visual cortex and feedback connections from higher order cortical areas. |
| Speaker: | Michael I. Posner |
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| Title: | Human Brain Development and Self Regulation |
| Abstract: | Attention serves to regulate aspects of behavior. The development of self- regulation in infancy results in part from the maturation of several attentional networks. Orienting to novel stimuli and the control of distress are two major behavioral tasks that depend upon the development of orienting systems. The ability of infants to orient to arbitrary locations in anticipation of objects is examined. Four month olds learn to anticipate where no ambiguity is involved, but only at 18 months did we obtain clear evidence of the ability to use context to disambiguate the direction of orienting. When adults choose among conflicting stimuli there is activity in the frontal midline related to executive networks that appear to serve the function of regulating information flow. In infancy these systems may regulate reactions to distress, but later they become involved in the regulation of sensory and motor processes during cognitive tasks. Two to five year olds, learn to regulate information flow in cognitive tasks involving conflict and the development of these skills are correlated with the ability to inhibit responses and with parental reports of attentional control and self regulation. School learning depends upon the successful development of self-regulation; some of the links between attention and the learning of reading and arithmetic are examined. |
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