Brain Connectivity in Ateles geoffroyi: Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Working Memory and Executive Control

Abstract

The objective of this research was to describe the organization and connectivity of the working memory (WM) and executive control (EC) networks in Ateles geoffroyi in resting-state conditions. Recent studies have shown that resting-state activity may underlie rudimentary brain functioning, showing that several brain regions can be tonically active at rest, maximizing the efficiency of information transfer while preserving a low physical connection cost. Whole-brain resting-state images were acquired from three healthy adult Ateles monkeys (2 females, 1 male; mean age 10.5 ± SD 2.5 years). Data were analyzed with independent component analysis, and results were grouped together using the GIFT software. The present study compared the EC and WM networks obtained with human data and with results found in the literature in other primate species. Nine resting-state networks were found, which were similar to resting networks found in healthy human adults in the prefrontal basal portion and frontopolar area. Additionally, components of the WM network were found to be extending into the hypothalamus and the olfactory areas. A key finding was the discovery of connections in the WM and EC networks to the hypothalamus, the motor cortex, and the entorhinal cortex, suggesting that information is integrated from larger brain areas. The correlated areas suggest that many elements of WM and EC may be conserved across primate species. Characterization of these networks in resting-state conditions in nonhuman primate brains is a fundamental prerequisite for understanding of the neural bases underlying the evolution and function of this cognitive system.

The Functional Interactions between Cortical Regions through Theta-Gamma Coupling during Resting-State and a Visual Working Memory Task

“…Functionally connected brain structures that are more active during rest than during tasks that require attention to external events comprise the DMN [ 67 , 74 , 75 ]. Recent studies have suggested that resting-state activity, which maximizes the efficiency of information transfer with low physical connection costs, can serve as the foundation for underlying brain functions [ 76 ]. Increasing evidence has shown that the resting state EEG rhythms may reveal abnormalities of the basic neurophysiological mechanisms that underlie cognition in AD subjects, and these abnormal EEG rhythms are thought to be associated with functional cortical disconnections [ 77 ].…”

Forgetting curve in spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi): Effects of delay but not the amount of information.

“…Using MRIs in a resting state with spider monkeys, some authors have identified a memory network that includes the prefrontal cortex, temporal lobes, and the hippocampus (Platas-Neri et al, 2019), which are areas that have been related to executive functions previously (Chudasama, 2011;Robbins, 2000); spatial cognition (Hartley et al, 2014;Herweg & Kahana, 2018) and memory (Eichenbaum, 2007;Templer & Hampton, 2013), opening future possibilities of using neural field activity to predict the behavior of spider monkeys using the DFT.…”

Asociación Mexicana de Neuropsicología. 25 años de práctica clínica e investigación

“…Tuvimos la oportunidad de colaborar con el equipo dirigido por la Dra. Diana Platas Neri (Platas-Neri et al, 2019) en el análisis de la co-nectividad cerebral en primates no humanos (Ateles geoffroyi), mediante el análisis de las redes en estado de reposo asociadas a la memoria de trabajo y al control ejecutivo, así como la comparación de las activaciones (resonancia magnética funcional) obtenidas en humanos y otros primates. Uno de los principales resultados fue que las activaciones fueron similares a las encontradas en humanos en la porción basal prefrontal y en el área frontopolar.…”