Timing and neural encoding of somatosensory parametric working memory in macaque prefrontal cortex

We trained monkeys to compare the frequencies of two mechanical vibrations applied sequentially to the tip of a finger and to report which of the two stimuli had the higher frequency. This task requires remembering the first frequency during the delay period between the two stimuli. Recordings were made from neurons in the inferior convexity of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) while the monkeys performed the task. We report neurons that fire persistently during the delay period, with a firing rate that is a monotonic function of the frequency of the first stimulus. Separately from, and in addition to, their correlation with the first stimulus, the delay period firing rates of these neurons were correlated with the behavior of the monkey, in a manner consistent with their interpretation as the neural substrate of working memory during the task. Most neurons had firing rates that varied systematically with time during the delay period. We suggest that this time-dependent activity may encode time itself and may be an intrinsic part of active memory maintenance mechanisms

Sensing without Touching Psychophysical Performance Based on Cortical Microstimulation

AbstractUnequivocal proof that the activity of a localized cortical neuronal population provides sufficient basis for a specific cognitive function has rarely been obtained. We looked for such proof in monkeys trained to discriminate between two mechanical flutter stimuli applied sequentially to the fingertips. Microelectrodes were inserted into clusters of quickly adapting (QA) neurons of the primary somatosensory cortex (S1), and the first or both stimuli were then substituted with trains of current pulses during the discrimination task. Psychophysical performance with artificial stimulus frequencies was almost identical to that measured with the natural stimulus frequencies. Our results indicate that microstimulation can be used to elicit a memorizable and discriminable analog range of percepts, and shows that activation of the QA circuit of S1 is sufficient to initiate all subsequent neural processes associated with flutter discrimination

Emergence of an abstract categorical code enabling the discrimination of temporally structured tactile stimuli

The problem of neural coding in perceptual decision making revolves around two fundamental questions: (i) How are the neural representations of sensory stimuli related to perception, and (ii) what attributes of these neural responses are relevant for downstream networks, and how do they influence decision making? We studied these two questions by recording neurons in primary somatosensory (S1) and dorsal premotor (DPC) cortex while trained monkeys reported whether the temporal pattern structure of two sequential vibrotactile stimuli (of equal mean frequency) was the same or different. We found that S1 neurons coded the temporal patterns in a literal way and only during the stimulation periods and did not reflect the monkeys' decisions. In contrast, DPC neurons coded the stimulus patterns as broader categories and signaled them during the working memory, comparison, and decision periods. These results show that the initial sensory representation is transformed into an intermediate, more abstract categorical code that combines past and present information to ultimately generate a perceptually informed choiceThis work was supported in part by the Dirección de Asuntos del Personal Académico de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (R.R.) and Grant FIS2015-67876-P (to N.P.

Liderazgo basado en el personalismo: una propuesta de investigación

Las nuevas corrientes de corte moral del liderazgo organizacional no cuentan con un sustento antropológico sólido, ni con un entendimiento de la empresa que conciba como prioridad el desarrollo integral de quienes ahí laboran. En este estudio se hace una revisión de la literatura relativa a las corrientes más recientes del liderazgo y su relación con la antropología y la ética, en la que se destaca el papel que juegan las personas en las empresas y la importancia que tiene, en la efectividad del líder y en el desempeño del negocio, la manera en que el líder las concibe. Para ello, se hace un breve recorrido por la evolución de la antropología filosófica, para identificar un concepto de persona congruente con el liderazgo moral/ético. Como resultado, se presenta una propuesta de liderazgo más completa y orgánica, cimentada en el personalismo y en una visión humanista de la empresa, desde la cual la efectividad del líder dependerá de su capacidad para conciliar dos objetivos: la sostenibilidad de la empresa y el desarrollo de sus empleados.The new moral currents in organizational leadership do not have a solid anthropological basis, nor do they have an understanding of the company where the integral development of its employees is a priority. This study reviews the literature about the most recent currents in leadership and their relation to anthropology and ethics, highlighting the role that the individual plays in a company and the importance of the way the leader conceives the individual in the leader’s effectiveness and the performance of the business. Thus, a brief overview is made on the evolution of philosophical anthropology in order to identify a concept of the individual that is congruent with ethical/ moral leadership. As a result, a more organic and comprehensive perspective on leadership is proposed, founded on personalism and a humanistic vision of the company, after which the leader’s effectiveness will depend on his or her ability to reconcile two objectives: the company’s sustainability and the personal development of its employees

Liderazgo Personalista Integral. Un modelo para el liderazgo en las organizaciones

In the study of leadership ethics in organizations, a descriptive perspective predominates, which, based on the analysis of the leader’s behavior and empirical evidence, is partial and fragmented. A deeper understanding of this phenomenon requires solid anthropology, which explains the concept of the person that underlies it since how the leader conceives the person determines his leadership style and objectives. In this research, we made a literary review of Personalism to have a person’s systematic notion, which contemplates it in all its complexity. On this basis, we propose a model of Comprehensive Personalist Leadership, with an ethical and transcendent sense, in which the leader rethinks his priorities and strives to align the interests of people and the organization towards the common good.En el estudio de la ética del liderazgo en las organizaciones predomina una perspectiva descriptiva, que al fundamentarse en el análisis de las conductas del líder y en la evidencia empírica, es parcial y fragmentada. Una comprensión más profunda de este fenómeno requiere de una antropología sólida, que explique el concepto de persona que subyace en él, pues la manera en que el líder concibe a la persona determina su estilo de liderazgo y sus objetivos. En esta investigación se hace una revisión literaria del Personalismo, para disponer de una noción sistemática de la persona, que la contemple en toda su complejidad. Sobre esta base, se propone un modelo de Liderazgo Personalista Integral, con sentido ético y trascendente, en el que líder se replantea sus prioridades y se esfuerza por alinear los intereses de las personas y de la organización hacia el bien común