Neuronal mechanism for subjective duration perception and generation

視覚刺激の時間知覚と運動待機中の時間再生の双方の時間計測過程を、１試行に含有する課題を用いて、課題遂行中のサル大脳皮質前頭連合野背外側部と内側運動前野の神経細胞活動を調べた。前頭連合野では、刺激呈示期と刺激呈示直後の遅延期に呈示時間の知覚に関わる一過性活動が多く見出された。内側運動前野では、運動待機期に漸増する活動が多く見出された。これらの結果は、前頭連合野が主にフィルタリング機構により時間知覚に、内側運動前野が主に漸増活動により時間再生に関わることを示唆する。To clarify the neuronal mechanism for duration perception and generation, neuronal activity was investigated in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the medial premotor areas (MPA) of monkeys during the task containing duration estimation of the visual cue stimulus and duration production based on the cue duration. In the PFC phasic activity related to cue duration estimation was found during the cue presentation and the following delay periods. In the MPA build-up activity was found during the retention period of waiting the response start time. These results suggest that the PFC may engage in duration estimation of the cue with the filtering mechanism and the MPA may engage in duration production in motor preparation with the build-up activity.研究分野：脳科学　神経生理学　認知科