Neuron Activity Related to Short-Term Memory

Nerve cells in the monkey's prefrontal cortex and nucleus medialis dorsalis of the thalamus show changes of firing frequency associated with the performance of a delayed response test. Most cells increase firing during the cue presentation period or at the beginning of the ensuing delay; spike discharge higher than that in intertrial periods is present in some cells throughout the delay. These changes are interpreted as suggestive evidence of a role of frontothalamic circuits in the attentive process involved in short-term memory