INHIBITORY MECHANISMS OF NEURAL AND COGNITIVE CONTROL - APPLICATIONS TO SELECTIVE ATTENTION AND SEQUENTIAL ACTION

This paper discusses the role of inhibition in neural and cognitive co ntrol, in particular its role in selective processes in perception and action. We first review neuroanatomical and physiological evidence th at cortical control is mediated by a variety of local-circuit inhibito ry neurons, distributed throughout all layers and areas of the cortex. We then consider the use of inhibition in control processes in behavi oral neural network models, focusing on two areas: selective attention and sequential action. Relations between the architecture and dynamic s of these models and relevant neurological findings are discussed. We conclude that a full understanding of inhibitory control of mental fu nctioning will require the integration of data from both the behaviora l and neural levels, and that formal neural network models can play an important role in bridging this epistemological divide. (C) 1996 Acad emic Press, Inc.