# Prefrontal contributions to phase-dependent representation of visual information

> **NIH NIH R01** · UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH · 2022 · $383,750

## Abstract

The function of rhythmic oscillations in brain activity has long been a subject of both
speculation and research. Recent evidence supports theories than synchronization of such
oscillations between brain areas can contribute to modulating the strength of their connectivity;
such changes in coupling between areas have been reported during cognitive functions including
attention and working memory. Information can also be encoded in the timing of neuron’s action
potentials relative to these oscillations; indeed, such ‘phase coding’ can sometimes represent
different information than is available in the firing rate alone. These experiments will determine
whether phase coding is used to represent visual information during working memory and eye
movements, and test the role of interactions between prefrontal and visual cortex in modulating
this phase coding. The role of prefrontal signals in modulating phase coding in visual cortex will
be tested using both correlative measures of synchronization between prefrontal and visual areas
during memory maintenance, and pharmacological manipulation of prefrontal activity.
Pharmacological activation will be used to test whether certain patterns of activity in visual cortex
are sufficient to gate entry of a sensory signal into working memory. Lastly, the ability of a phase
code to multiplex information around the time of eye movements, thus disambiguating the source
of sensory signals and expanding the information capacity of the visual system will be directly
examined. Understanding the contribution of phase coding to the visual representation, along with
the role of interactions between prefrontal and visual cortex in modulating such representations,
will provide a necessary comparison point for neurological disorders involving impaired prefrontal-
sensory interactions, such as schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder, and autism spectrum disorders.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10364485
- **Project number:** 2R01EY026924-06A1
- **Recipient organization:** UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
- **Principal Investigator:** Behrad Noudoost
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $383,750
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2016-08-01 → 2026-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10364485

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10364485, Prefrontal contributions to phase-dependent representation of visual information (2R01EY026924-06A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10364485. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*