caa a22 4500 463245423 CHVBK 20180405153324.0 cr unu---uuuuu 170326e20070401xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s00422-006-0139-8 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s00422-006-0139-8 Neuronal firing rates account for distractor effects on mnemonic accuracy in a visuo-spatial working memory task [Elektronische Daten] [Julian Macoveanu, Torkel Klingberg, Jesper Tegnér] Persistent neural activity constitutes one neuronal correlate of working memory, the ability to hold and manipulate information across time, a prerequisite for cognition. Yet, the underlying neuronal mechanisms are still elusive. Here, we design a visuo- spatial delayed-response task to identify the relationship between the cue-distractor spatial distance and mnemonic accuracy. Using a shared experimental and computational test protocol, we probe human subjects in computer experiments, and subsequently we evaluate different neural mechanisms underlying persistent activity using an in silico prefrontal network model. Five modes of action of the network were tested: weak or strong synaptic interactions, wide synaptic arborization, cellular bistability and reduced synaptic NMDA component. The five neural mechanisms and the human behavioral data, all exhibited a significant deterioration of the mnemonic accuracy with decreased spatial distance between the distractor and the cue. A subsequent computational analysis revealed that the firing rate and not the neural mechanism per se, accounted for the positive correlation between mnemonic accuracy and spatial distance. Moreover, the computational modeling predicts an inverse correlation between accuracy and distractibility. In conclusion, any pharmacological modulation, pathological condition or memory training paradigm targeting the underlying neural circuitry and altering the net population firing rate during the delay is predicted to determine the amount of influence of a visual distraction. Springer-Verlag, 2007 Macoveanu Julian Computational Biology, Department of Physics, Linköping University of Technology, 581 83, Linköping, Sweden aut Klingberg Torkel Department of Woman and Child Health, MR center, Karolinska Institutet, 171 76, Stockholm, Sweden aut Tegnér Jesper Computational Biology, Department of Physics, Linköping University of Technology, 581 83, Linköping, Sweden aut Biological Cybernetics Springer-Verlag 96/4(2007-04-01), 407-419 0340-1200 96:4<407 2007 96 422 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00422-006-0139-8 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00422-006-0139-8 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Macoveanu Julian Computational Biology, Department of Physics, Linköping University of Technology, 581 83, Linköping, Sweden aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Klingberg Torkel Department of Woman and Child Health, MR center, Karolinska Institutet, 171 76, Stockholm, Sweden aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Tegnér Jesper Computational Biology, Department of Physics, Linköping University of Technology, 581 83, Linköping, Sweden aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Biological Cybernetics Springer-Verlag 96/4(2007-04-01), 407-419 0340-1200 96:4<407 2007 96 422 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer