Elsevier

Brain Research Bulletin

Volume 27, Issue 5, November 1991, Pages 751-757
Brain Research Bulletin

Brief communication
Sensory response enhancement and suppression of monkey primary somatosensory cortical neurons

https://doi.org/10.1016/0361-9230(91)90059-SGet rights and content

Abstract

Vibratory stimulus-related responses were recorded from monkey primary somatosensory cortical (SI) neurons while animals performed two tasks. In the movement task, vibratory stimuli served as the go-cue for wris̀t flexion or extension. In the no-movement task, movements normally made in response to vibratory stimuli were extinguished. Area 3a, 3b, and 1 neurons with deep receptive fields (RFs) exhibited greater stimulus-related activity during the movement task than during the no-movement task. Area 3b neurons with cutaneous RFs were similarly enhanced during the movement task, whereas area 1 neurons with cutaneous RFs were less responsive to vibratory stimuli during the movement task. These results suggest that motor-set and/or selective attention may modulate the responsiveness of SI neurons to peripheral stimuli and that changes in sensory responsiveness in SI neurons differ as a function of their cortical location and RF type.

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