Neuronal Synchrony During the Planning and Execution Period in the Prefrontal Cortex

We analyzed synchronous firing in lateral prefrontal cortex (lPFC) neurons while monkeys were performing a path-planning task that required them to perform multiple related cursor movements. A synchronous group of neuronal pairs showed enhanced synchrony at each cursor-movement step. This enhanced synchrony, which preceded the execution period for the first cursor movement, was significantly correlated with cursor-movement selectivity as defined by the firing rate during the planning period. Information about the behavioral plan represented by the firing rate may be transformed from the “planned state” into the “execution state” by neuronal synchrony within the lPFC.