Stability from subspace rotations and traveling waves

Abstract

Cortical activity shows stability, including the ability to recover from disruptions. We analyzed spiking from the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of monkeys performing working memory tasks with mid-memory-delay distractions. Perturbation of cortex by events (a gaze shift or visual inputs) caused rotational dynamics in subspace that could return spiking to patterns similar to those before the perturbation. In fact, after a distraction, rotations were fuller when the task was correctly performed vs when errors were made. We found a direct correspondence between state-space rotations and traveling waves rotating across the surface of the PFC. This suggests a role for subspace rotations in cortical stability and a correspondence between subspace trajectories and traveling waves.