We are particularly interested in higher cognitive functions mediated by the prefrontal cortex (PFC), like the ability to dissect and predict the temporal structure of events in the environment, working memory, and the ability to flexibly switch among sets of behavioral rules or mental representations. We are furthermore interested in the specific role of the dopamine system in PFC dynamics and cognition. Dopamine has a profound impact on higher cognitive functions mediated by the PFC, and is a particularly good model system for relating the biophysics of single neurons and synapses to cognition. One of our main hypotheses is that dopamine via D1- and D2-class receptors adapts the dynamical regime of PFC networks to different cognitive demands, i.e. optimizes it for different forms of information processing, and that dysfunctions of this adaptive regulation underly many of the cognitive symptoms observed in schizophrenia. |
