Neural correlates of memory updating in the primate prefrontal cortex

Working memory allows temporary storage and manipulation of information during cognitive tasks. While the primate lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) is involved in working memory, little is known about neuronal activity during memory updating. We trained macaque monkeys on an oculomotor n-back task, requiring them to remember locations of sequentially presented visual stimuli and generate a saccade to the location of the most recent or previous stimulus based on task rules. Many PFC neurons showed transient activity when a memory of a particular stimulus location was no longer needed, whereas others showed sustained activity for remembered locations. Decoding analysis successfully predicted future target selection based on the task rule from neuronal activity, indicating that these neuronal populations contain sufficient information to guide behavior. Furthermore, electrical stimulation at recording sites erased specific spatial memories, demonstrating a causal role of prefrontal neurons in maintaining and updating short-term memory.