Freedman D J, Riesenhuber M, Poggio T, Miller E K
Center for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Science. 2001 Jan 12;291(5502):312-6. doi: 10.1126/science.291.5502.312.
The ability to group stimuli into meaningful categories is a fundamental cognitive process. To explore its neural basis, we trained monkeys to categorize computer-generated stimuli as "cats" and "dogs." A morphing system was used to systematically vary stimulus shape and precisely define the category boundary. Neural activity in the lateral prefrontal cortex reflected the category of visual stimuli, even when a monkey was retrained with the stimuli assigned to new categories.
将刺激物归类为有意义类别的能力是一种基本的认知过程。为了探究其神经基础，我们训练猴子将计算机生成的刺激物归类为“猫”和“狗”。使用了一种变形系统来系统地改变刺激物的形状，并精确界定类别边界。即使猴子用分配到新类别的刺激物重新接受训练，外侧前额叶皮层中的神经活动仍反映视觉刺激的类别。
