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Neuronal population coding of perceived and memorized visual features in the lateral prefrontal cortex
Diego Mendoza-Halliday1,2, Julio C Martinez-Trujillo3
1McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
Nature Communications
|June 2, 2017
Summary
Neurons in the primate lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) represent visual information during perception and working memory. A diverse neuronal population distinguishes between perceived and memorized visual features.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Background:
- The primate lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) is crucial for processing visual information.
- It is known to encode features during perception and working memory, but the neural basis for distinguishing these states is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether the same or different neurons and population activity patterns in the LPFC encode perceived versus memorized visual features.
- To determine if the LPFC can discriminate between perceptual and mnemonic representations.
Main Methods:
- Recorded neuronal activity in the LPFC of monkeys performing tasks involving visual perception and working memory of motion direction.
- Utilized a machine-learning algorithm to decode neural population activity.
Main Results:
- Identified LPFC neurons with diverse coding profiles for perceived and memorized directions, including neurons selective for one, the other, or both.
- The machine-learning algorithm successfully decoded motion direction and its status (perceived vs. memorized) from population activity.
Conclusions:
- The LPFC contains a functionally diverse neuronal population.
- This diversity supports the discrimination between perceptual and mnemonic representations of visual features.
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