| |
Abstract:
Abstract: Observations of working memory (WM) deficits in
patients with basal ganglia (BG) disorder, as well as the strong
neuroanatomical and neurochemical links between the prefrontal
cortex and BG, have led to the suggestion that the BG might be
directly involved in WM. While electrophysiological studies have
shown that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is involved
in maintenance of information during WM, the involvement of the BG
in this process is not known. In this study we used a motor
sequencing task, which we had previously shown to reliably activate
the BG, to investigate the role of the BG in WM maintenance. In our
sample of 11 subjects, fMRI activation related to WM maintenance
was observed in the DLPFC but not in any nuclei of the BG or the
thalamus, which is primary target of BG output. Our results suggest
that the BG are not involved in WM maintenance, rather they may
play a role in other WM components or supporting operations
necessary for WM performance.
|
