Sadegh Nabavi
Distributed neural circuitry for processing an attention-dependent learning
The ability to associate events in time is one of the most common forms of learning, and yet it remains one of the most puzzling ones. How does the brain achieve this? One of the outstanding features of such a form of learning is that it requires the activity of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampus during the learning process. The second feature is that successful learning needs attention. In this project, we have two main aims: The first aim is to investigate how the mPFC and hippocampus contribute to the learning. For the second aim, we ask at which stage(s) of the learning attention is required, and how distraction disrupts neuronal processing in the mPFC, leading to impaired learning. with precise temporal inactivation of neuronal activity.
