Laminar differences in decision-related neural activity in dorsal premotor cortex

Chandramouli Chandrasekaran (), Diogo Peixoto, William T. Newsome and Krishna V. Shenoy ()
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Chandramouli Chandrasekaran: Stanford University
Diogo Peixoto: Stanford University
William T. Newsome: Stanford University
Krishna V. Shenoy: Stanford University

Nature Communications, 2017, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: Abstract Dorsal premotor cortex is implicated in somatomotor decisions. However, we do not understand the temporal patterns and laminar organization of decision-related firing rates in dorsal premotor cortex. We recorded neurons from dorsal premotor cortex of monkeys performing a visual discrimination task with reaches as the behavioral report. We show that these neurons can be organized along a bidirectional visuomotor continuum based on task-related firing rates. “Increased” neurons at one end of the continuum increased their firing rates ~150 ms after stimulus onset and these firing rates covaried systematically with choice, stimulus difficulty, and reaction time—characteristics of a candidate decision variable. “Decreased” neurons at the other end of the continuum reduced their firing rate after stimulus onset, while “perimovement” neurons at the center of the continuum responded only ~150 ms before movement initiation. These neurons did not show decision variable-like characteristics. “Increased” neurons were more prevalent in superficial layers of dorsal premotor cortex; deeper layers contained more “decreased” and “perimovement” neurons. These results suggest a laminar organization for decision-related responses in dorsal premotor cortex.

Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00715-0

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