BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//132.216.98.100//NONSGML kigkonsult.se iCalcreator 2.20.4// BEGIN:VEVENT UID:20250725T173216EDT-7093mGvr7d@132.216.98.100 DTSTAMP:20250725T213216Z DESCRIPTION:Cognitive control guides behavior by controlling what\, where\, and how information is represented in the brain. Perhaps the most well-st udied form of cognitive control has been ‘attention’\, which controls how external sensory stimuli are represented in the brain. In contrast\, the n eural mechanisms controlling the selection of representations held ‘in min d’\, in working memory\, are unknown. In this talk\, I will present eviden ce that prefrontal cortex controls working memory by selectively enhancing and transforming the contents of working memory. To show this\, we traine d monkeys to switch between two tasks\, requiring them to either select an item from a set of items held in working memory or attend to one stimulus from a set of visual stimuli. Simultaneous neural recordings in prefronta l\, parietal\, and visual cortex found prefrontal cortex played a primary role in selecting an item from working memory\, representing selection bef ore parietal and visual cortex. Surprisingly\, the same representation tha t controlled selection also directed attention to an external stimulus\, s uggesting prefrontal cortex may act as a domain-general controller. Furthe rmore\, we found that selection acted on memory representations by strengt hening the selected item and transforming it in a task-dependent manner. B efore selection\, when both items were relevant to the task\, the identity of each item was represented equally in two independent subspaces of neur al activity. After selection\, the representation of only the selected ite m was strengthened and transformed into a new subspace that was used to gu ide the animal’s behavioral report. Together\, our results show how prefro ntal cortex controls working memory\, selectively enhancing and transformi ng memories to support behavior. \n\nThis seminar will be given both in-pe rson and online. Details in attached poster.\n DTSTART:20220318T150000Z DTEND:20220318T160000Z SUMMARY:Seminar: Neural Dynamics of Working Memory URL:/physiology/channels/event/seminar-neural-dynamics -working-memory-337427 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR