Theta-based organization of information in the frontal cortex
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Updated: Nov 7, 2026

Large-scale Three-dimensional Imaging of Cellular Organization in the Mouse Neocortex
Published on: September 5, 2018
Matthew B Broschard1, Scott L Brincat1, Roman F Loonis2
1The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Abstract:
Theta (4-10 Hz) oscillations seem to coordinate activity across long-range distances. It is less clear how theta coordinates activity more locally within frontal subareas. We examined activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC), and frontal eye fields (FEFs) as non-human primates categorized dot patterns. We characterized how theta coordinates activity within frontal cortex. First, theta phase selectively couples to behaviorally relevant information in spiking. Second, theta influences move in a posterior direction during choices (i.e., dlPFC/vlPFC to FEF) and after correct outcomes (i.e., dlPFC to FEF), but not after errors. Instead, anterior-direction (i.e., FEF to vlPFC) theta influences are stronger after errors. Third, theta participates in behaviorally associated nested cross-frequency interactions. Theta couples to beta (15-30 Hz) oscillations during choices and after errors, whereas beta couples to gamma (40-90 Hz) oscillations after correct outcomes. Our results position theta as a critical mechanism that flexibly and dynamically coordinates activity in frontal cortex.
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