Decision making driven by mental schemas: study of neuronal correlates of a transitive inference task in dorsal prefrontal and premotor cortex of primates

Brain is a complex network of billions of interconnected cells called neurons, communicating with each other sending electrochemical signals unceasingly. It is incomprehensible how each action or thought, voluntary or involuntary, can be traced back as the aftermath of millions of these electrochemical signals sent and received in specific groups of neurons in a few milliseconds. Hundreds of years of neuroscience research has led us to where we are today, some mysteries unraveled and some still inexplicable. One of them is the relationship between mind and brain. How are mental processes being translated to the firing activity of neurons? How do different brain areas partake in processing an idea, thought, or action? Out of the many facets of the mind-brain relationships, this thesis explores the neuronal correlates of a specific complex cognitive process called Transitive Inference.