Rule-dependent shifting of sensorimotor representation in the primate prefrontal cortex

When we react to the outer world, perceived sensory information is frequently memorized over a temporal interval then transformed into a motor command based on a behavioural rule. In this type of memory-based sensorimotor transformation, working memory is considered to play an important role. It has been suggested that the lateral prefrontal cortex is involved in the process of the working memory. However, the neuronal mechanism for guiding a motor command from the working memory has not been established. To examine how visuospatial working memory is linked with a forthcoming saccade direction, we used an antisaccade paradigm for monkeys in which a behavioural rule was presented in the middle of a delay period. In this task, the subjects were required to maintain cue location and to select a response based on a behavioural rule. We found that a subset of mnemonic neurons in the lateral prefrontal cortex changed their representation from cue to saccade direction. Furthermore, the discriminability for saccade direction of these neurons tended to appear soon after the behavioural rule presentation, indicating their significant dependency on the behavioural rule. These results suggest that a subset of mnemonic neurons in the lateral prefrontal cortex change their activity depending on a behavioural rule to guide a prospective motor command.