Functional definitions of parietal areas in human and non-human primates

Abstract

Establishing homologies between cortical areas in animal models and humans lies at the heart of translational neuroscience, as it demonstrates how knowledge obtained from these models can be applied to the human brain. Here, we review progress in using parallel functional imaging to ascertain homologies between parietal areas of human and non-human primates, species sharing similar behavioural repertoires. The human homologues of several areas along monkey IPS involved in action planning and observation, such as AIP, LIP and CIP, as well as those of opercular areas (SII complex), have been defined. In addition, uniquely human areas, such as the tool-use area in left anterior supramarginal gyrus, have also been identified.

The role of putative human anterior intraparietal sulcus area in observed manipulative action discrimination

“…Yet premotor activation was observed in experiment 2, and the psychophysical control experiment using brief static-probe stimuli makes it unlikely that this premotor activation reflects the static cues available at the start of the OA. The PCS activation in experiment 2, in which the two OMAS also differed with respect to the effector is consistent with our view (Orban, 2018) 2016;Wurm & Lingnau, 2015;Wurm et al, 2017). While we agree with the notion of the representation of action components in LOTC, we suggest that the single neuron data indicate that the identity of observed actions is represented at the parietal level.…”

“…Recent single cell studies, published in abstract form (Lanzillotto et al., ; Orban et al., ), have demonstrated that monkey anterior intraparietal area (AIP), as well as its putative human homologue (phAIP, Orban, ) hosts sizeable proportions of neurons selective for observed manipulative actions (OMAs), extending an earlier AIP study (Pani, Theys, Romero, & Janssen, ). OMA‐selective neurons responded strongly to one of the seven OMAs tested but less so to the other six.…”

Towards a unified perspective of object shape and motion processing in human dorsal cortex

“…Areas that encode higher-order depth features of objects in dorsal cortex include hMT+, MST, V3A/B, V6, V7, and regions along the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) (Alizadeh, Van Dromme, Verhoef, & Janssen, 2018; Georgieva, Peeters, Kolster, Todd, & Orban, 2009; Janssen, Vogels, & Orban, 2000; Katsuyama, Usui, Nose, & Taira, 2011; for reviews see Anzai & DeAngelis, 2010; Freud et al, 2016; Janssen et al, 2018; Orban, 2011; Theys, Romero, van Loon, & Janssen, 2015; Tsao, Conway, & Livingstone, 2003; Tsao, Vanduffel, et al, 2003; Tsutsui, Taira, & Sakata, 2005). For example, in monkeys the caudal part of the intraparietal area (CIP), which corresponds to VIPS, V7/IPS0, or V7A in humans (Konen, Mruczek, Montoya, & Kastner, 2013; Orban, 2016), is involved in representing 3-D curvature (Alizadeh et al, 2018; Georgieva et al, 2009; Janssen et al, 2000; Katsuyama et al, 2011). Stereoscopically defined pairs of 3-D shapes that differ only in their sign of curvature (i.e., concave versus convex) selectively activate individual neurons in this area (Janssen et al, 2000).…”

Human Paleoneurology and the Evolution of the Parietal Cortex

“…Therefore, most results deal with only one genus of primates (Macaca) and in particular with one that is not related to human evolution. Many areas seem evolutionarily conserved in humans and macaques [Orban, 2016], but for those elements that are evolutionarily derived -in humans as well as in macaques -we still miss a comprehensive comparative scenario. Both modern humans and Neanderthals display a lateral bulging and widening of the dorsal parietal surface [Bruner et al, 2003], which could be tentatively interpreted as a cortical increase and outfold of the intraparietal cortex [Pereira-Pedro and Bruner, 2016].…”