Fig 3. Forward-shifted neural representations at the choice point.

Spatial representations were decoded from the activity of simultaneously recorded neural ensembles within the CA3 region of the hippocampus. Each panel shows a sample of the decoded hippocampal spatial representation in a cued choice task [29]. Panels are arranged in 40msec intervals from left-to-right, then top-to-bottom. Representations are displayed as a probability distribution over space (red = high probability, blue = low probability) and the animal’s position is shown as a white ○. The representations closely tracked the rat’s position as the rat approached the choice point. As the rat paused at the choice point, hippocampal spatial representations moved forward of the animal into each arm (first to the left, then to the right). Forward-shifted neural representations provide a potential mechanism for consideration of future possibilities. Data is from another example from data set originally reported in [29].