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Science 29 August 2003:
Vol. 301. no. 5637, pp. 1246 - 1249
DOI: 10.1126/science.1086872
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Reports

Representation of Action Sequence Boundaries by Macaque Prefrontal Cortical Neurons

Naotaka Fujii and Ann M. Graybiel*

Complex biological systems such as human language and the genetic code are characterized by explicit markers at the beginning and end of functional sequences. We report here that macaque prefrontal cortical neurons exhibit phasic peaks of spike activity that occur at the beginning and endpoint of sequential oculomotor saccade performance and have the properties of dynamic start- and end-state encoders accompanying responses to sequential actions. Sequence bounding may thus reflect a general mechanism for encoding biological information.

Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 45 Carleton Street, E25-618, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: graybiel{at}mit.edu

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)