title: Choice-specific sequences in parietal cortex during a virtual-navigation decision task.
abstract: The posterior parietal cortex (PPC) has an important role in many cognitive behaviours; however, the neural circuit dynamics underlying PPC function are not well understood. Here we optically imaged the spatial and temporal activity patterns of neuronal populations in mice performing a PPC-dependent task that combined a perceptual decision and memory-guided navigation in a virtual environment. Individual neurons had transient activation staggered relative to one another in time, forming a sequence of neuronal activation spanning the entire length of a task trial. Distinct sequences of neurons were triggered on trials with opposite behavioural choices and defined divergent, choice-specific trajectories through a state space of neuronal population activity. Cells participating in the different sequences and at distinct time points in the task were anatomically intermixed over microcircuit length scales (<100 micrometres). During working memory decision tasks, the PPC may therefore perform computations through sequence-based circuit dynamics, rather than long-lived stable states, implemented using anatomically intermingled microcircuits.
authors.affiliation: Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA. christopher_harvey@hms.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Christopher D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Coen
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Tank
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008959:Models, Neurological; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D014584:User-Computer Interface