Extended Data Figure 7. Connectivity pattern and response profile of MD and PFC neurons.

(a) Cumulative distributions of neuronal peak widths (measured as full width to half maximum, FWHM) for MD and PFC. Two non-linear decoding methods (b) Poisson Naïve Bayes (PNB) and (c) maximum correlation coefficient (MCC) fail to reveal rule information among tuned MD neurons (PFC: n = 604 neurons, 6 mice, MD: n = 156 neurons, 3 mice). (d) Rule information obtained from non-linear decoding does not depend on the number of simultaneously recorded neurons: Decoding of rule information among tuned MD and PFC neurons is similar in sessions containing 1–5 neurons (PFC: n = 318 neurons, 6 mice, MD: n _­­= 73 neurons, 3 mice) and sessions containing greater than 5 neurons (PFC: n = 286 neurons, 6 mice, MD: n = 83 neurons, 3 mice). Similar results were obtained in single sessions with the highest population of simultaneously recorded MD neurons containing temporal peaks (n = 16), and an equivalent session containing the same number of simultaneously recorded tuned PFC neurons. Error bars are 95% CI. (e) Rule information is not encoded by MD neurons that do not show peaks. (f) Schematic diagram showing that tetrodes yielding MD neurons with peaks were located exclusively in lateral MD (white dots). (g) Anterograde labeling of PFC shows that their terminals are located in lateral MD. (h) Retrograde labeling from PFC identifies cells in lateral MD. Insets show enlarged view. (i) Firing rates are comparable in correct and incorrect trials for MD (left) or PFC (right) neurons. (j) Left: example PSTH of a single MD neuron in correct or error trials showing similar peaks across all conditions. Right: Quantification of peak size for the same rule in incorrect trials shows that MD peaks are retained while PFC peaks are diminished. Shade indicates 95% bootstrapped confidence intervals.