A Dynamic, Economical, and Robust Coding Scheme in the Lateral Prefrontal Neurons of Monkeys.

The lateral prefrontal cortex (lPFC) plays crucial roles in executive functions, including working memory and behavioral planning. The functions of lPFC require conservation of its limited neuronal resources. Herein, we examined lPFC neuronal activities in monkeys during a path-planning task that required behavioral planning and working memory. We analyzed the coding dynamics of final-goal neurons, and found selective and sustained activities toward the final goal, reflecting working memory. Putative excitatory pyramidal neurons shifted their scheme from discrete to collective coding during the preparatory period of the task, whereas inhibitory interneurons used a collective coding scheme.