a specialized odor memory buffer in primary olfactory cortex一个专门的气味在初级嗅觉皮层内存缓冲区.pdfVIP

A Specialized Odor Memory Buffer in Primary Olfactory Cortex 1 2 1 1 Christina Zelano *, Jessica Montag , Rehan Khan , Noam Sobel 1 Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel, 2 Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America Abstract Background: The neural substrates of olfactory working memory are unknown. We addressed the questions of whether olfactory working memory involves a verbal representation of the odor, or a sensory image of the odor, or both, and the location of the neural substrates of these processes. Methodology/Principal Findings: We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure activity in the brains of subjects who were remembering either nameable or unnameable odorants. We found a double dissociation whereby remembering nameable odorants was reflected in sustained activity in prefrontal language areas, and remembering unnameable odorants was reflected in sustained activity in primary olfactory cortex. Conclusions/Significance: These findings suggest a novel dedicated mechanism in primary olfactory cortex, where odor information is maintained in temporary storage to subserve ongoing tasks. Citation: Zelano C, Montag J, Khan R, Sobel N (2009) A Specialized Odor Memory Buffer in Primary Olfactory Cortex. PLoS ONE 4(3): e4965. doi:10.1371/ journal.pone.0004965 Editor: Leslie B. Vosshall, The Rockefeller University, United States of America Received November 19, 2008; Accepted February 5, 2009; Published March 23, 2009 Copyright: 2009 Zelano et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unre