Distinct Information Representation and Processing for Goal-Directed Behavior in the Dorsolateral and Ventrolateral Prefrontal Cortex and the Dorsal Premotor Cortex

Abstract

Although the lateral prefrontal cortex (lPFC) and dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) are thought to be involved in goal-directed behavior, the specific roles of each area still remain elusive. To characterize and compare neuronal activity in two sectors of the lPFC [dorsal (dlPFC) and ventral (vlPFC)] and the PMd, we designed a behavioral task for monkeys to explore the differences in their participation in four aspects of information processing: encoding of visual signals, behavioral goal retrieval, action specification, and maintenance of relevant information. We initially presented a visual object (an instruction cue) to instruct a behavioral goal (reaching to the right or left of potential targets). After a subsequent delay, a choice cue appeared at various locations on a screen, and the animals could specify an action to achieve the behavioral goal. We found that vlPFC neurons amply encoded object features of the instruction cues for behavioral goal retrieval and, subsequently, spatial locations of the choice cues for specifying the actions. By contrast, dlPFC and PMd neurons rarely encoded the object features, although they reflected the behavioral goals throughout the delay period. After the appearance of the choice cues, the PMd held information for action throughout the specification and preparation of reaching movements. Remarkably, lPFC neurons represented information for the behavioral goal continuously, even after the action specification as well as during its execution. These results indicate that area-specific representation and information processing at progressive stages of the perception-action transformation in these areas underlie goal-directed behavior.

Is the Prefrontal Cortex Especially Enlarged in the Human Brain? Allometric Relations and Remapping Factors

“…The prefrontal cortex specifies the spatial and object goals of action [Yamagata et al, 2012]. These can include a series of goals as in planning [Mushiake et al, 2006] or performing [Shima et al, 2007] sequences of action.…”

Baroreceptor activity impacts upon controlled but not automatic distractor processing

“…Moreover, the left dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) and right inferior frontal gyrus are assumed to reflect the retrieval of S-R bindings (Horner & Henson, 2012;Race, Shanker, & Wagner, 2008). Interestingly, the left presupplementary motor area, and the PMd, areas involved in the selection, preparation, and control of movement (Kennerley, Sakai, & Rushworth, 2004;van Gaal, Scholte, Lamme, Fahrenfort, & Ridderinkhof, 2011;Yamagata, Nakayama, Tanji, & Hoshi, 2012), are in fact related to S-R learning (Race et al, 2008) but neither to NP nor have they been found to be modulated by baroreceptor loading or unloading (Kimmerly et al, 2005). Neural correlates responsible for movement control are therefore likely candidates to prevent automatic S-R retrieval from being disrupted by baro-afferent inhibition.…”

Cortico-basal ganglia networks subserving goal-directed behavior mediated by conditional visuo-goal association

“…However, the two areas are involved in different ways: the visual-object feature was represented in the vlPFC when the neural representations of the goal developed, whereas the goal representation in the dlPFC developed independently of any encoding of object features. From a perspective of a categorization, Freedman et al (2001) revealed that lateral PFC neurons categorize visual stimuli as “cats” and “dogs,” whereas the observations made by Nakayama et al (2008) and Yamagata et al (2012) suggest that lateral PFC and PMd neurons categorize visual stimuli as associated with right and left behavioral goals.…”

“…Based on these observations, the neuronal activity in the vlPFC and dlPFC was examined while monkeys performed the symbolic cue task involving conditional visuo-goal association (Yamagata et al, 2012). …”

“…(B) Activity of this dlPFC neuron increased when the instruction was presented and either a red diamond or a blue cross was used to specify the left target. The display formats are the same as those used in Figure 7 (adapted from Yamagata et al, 2012). …”