Static and dynamic coding in distinct cell types during associative learning in the prefrontal cortex

The prefrontal cortex maintains information in memory through static or dynamic population codes depending on task demands, but whether the population coding schemes used are learning-dependent and differ between cell types is currently unknown. We investigate the population coding properties and te...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature communications 2023-12, Vol.14 (1), p.8325-8325, Article 8325
Main Authors: Ceccarelli, Francesco, Ferrucci, Lorenzo, Londei, Fabrizio, Ramawat, Surabhi, Brunamonti, Emiliano, Genovesio, Aldo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
631/378/1595/1636
631/378/3920
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Associative learning
Coding
Dynamic stability
Humanities and Social Sciences
Interneurons
Learning
multidisciplinary
Neural coding
Prefrontal cortex
Pyramidal cells
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Stimuli
Temporal lobe
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Summary:The prefrontal cortex maintains information in memory through static or dynamic population codes depending on task demands, but whether the population coding schemes used are learning-dependent and differ between cell types is currently unknown. We investigate the population coding properties and temporal stability of neurons recorded from male macaques in two mapping tasks during and after stimulus-response associative learning, and then we use a Strategy task with the same stimuli and responses as control. We identify a heterogeneous population coding for stimuli, responses, and novel associations: static for putative pyramidal cells and dynamic for putative interneurons that show the strongest selectivity for all the variables. The population coding of learned associations shows overall the highest stability driven by cell types, with interneurons changing from dynamic to static coding after successful learning. The results support that prefrontal microcircuitry expresses mixed population coding governed by cell types and changes its stability during associative learning. Task-related information in prefrontal cortex is maintained through a heterogeneous population code. The authors show that, during associative learning, the coding scheme in interneurons switches from dynamic to static, while static coding persists in pyramidal cells.
ISSN:2041-1723
2041-1723
DOI:10.1038/s41467-023-43712-2