ACTIVATION OF THE PREFRONTAL, OCCIPITAL AND PARIETAL CORTICES DURING GO NO-GO DISCRIMINATION TASKS IN THE MONKEY AS REVEALED BY POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY/

The regions of the monkey brain involved in cognito-behavioral tasks w ere mapped using the (H2O)-O-15 positron emission tomography (PET) act ivation technique. Monkeys performed hand movements in an asymmetrical ly rewarded go/no-go reaction-time task with discrimination between gr een (go) and red (no-go) light signals. Regional cerebral blood flow ( rCBF) was measured during the go/no-go task and a control task in whic h only go signals were presented. In the go/no-go task, when compared with the control, a significant increase in rCBF was noted in the foll owing regions. (1) the principal sulci; (2) the anterodorsal frontal p ole; (3) the anterior part of the inferior occipital sulcus which appe ared to be the V4; and (4) the parieto-occipital region. The increase in the principal sulci may be related to the no-go decision and motor suppression in the area, as interpreted in our previous electrophysiol ogical studies. The present results appear to support electrophysiolog ical observations on visual perception and motor suppression and refle ct a mode of their functional integration. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science I reland Ltd.