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

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 afte

SUBMITTER: Chandrasekaran C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5607001 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature