Abstract
Finding ones way in space requires a distributed neural network
to support accurate spatial navigation. In the rat, this network
likely includes the hippocampus and its place cells. Although such
cells allow the organism to locate itself in the environment, an
additional mechanism is required to specify the animals goal.
Here, we show that firing activity of neurons in medial prefrontal
cortex (mPFC) reflects the motivational salience of places. We
recorded mPFC neurons from rats performing a place navigation
task, and found that a substantial proportion of cells in the
prelimbicinfralimbic area had place fields. A much smaller proportion
of cells with such properties was found in the dorsal
anterior cingulate area. Furthermore, the distribution of place
fields in prelimbicinfralimbic cells was not homogeneous: goal
locations were overrepresented. Because such locations were spatially
dissociated from rewards, we suggest that mPFC neurons
might be responsible for encoding the rats goals, a process
necessary for path planning.
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