Fig. 5. Schematic of neural ensembles selectively signaling categorical decisions via distinct beta frequency channels.

Left: Two overlapping neural ensembles are selective for two different categories. Triangle icons represent neurons. Middle: Spiking activity of the two neural ensembles is coherent with two different beta frequencies; category information is transmitted downstream via these distinct beta frequency channels. Vertical lines represent spike trains. Waves represent beta rhythms. Right: The two beta rhythms at distinct frequencies provide a read-out of the monkey’s categorical decision. Clouds represent categorical decisions. The monkey cartoon at the far right is reproduced with permission from Mendoza, G., Méndez, J.C., Pérez, O. et al. Neural basis for categorical boundaries in the primate pre-SMA during relative categorization of time intervals. Nat Commun 9, 1098 (2018). 10.1038/s41467-018-03482-8.