Movement sequences based on temporal interval duration and spatial position and neuronal activity in macaque dorsolateral prefrontal cortex

Abstract

In neural and imaging studies the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC) has each been shown to participate in encoding the passage of time, as well as spatial movement sequences. But we do not know how time, space, and serial order are encoded during more complex behaviors that require simultaneous control over all of these elements. In this thesis non-human primates were trained to perform a complex spatio-temporal sequence task comprised of three directional arm movements that were followed by three self-timed temporal delay intervals. We recorded single neurons in the DLPFC of two animals during performance of this task. We found evidence the single cells encoded information about the serial order, temporal interval, and direction of each movement as independent quantities as well as a joint aggregate.