Direction-specific activities of dorsolateral prefrontal and motor cortex pyramidal tract neurons during visual tracking.

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Abstract
With 2 rhesus monkeys, activities of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex neurons (n = 102) and rapidly conducting pyramidal tract neurons (PTN) of the hand-arm motor area (n = 49) were compared for 3 kinds of single-step visual-tracking tasks. The manipulandum was a vertical handle, which the monkeys rotated 24.degree. from a central hold zone to a target hold zone by wrist flexion or extension. The 1st task was a delayed-response task (DR) in which the direction of the movement, flexion or extension, was indicated by visual cues but was triggered, after a short delay period, by a visual go signal. The 2nd task was a choice task (CT) in which wrist flexion or extension was triggered, after a short hold period, by both a go signal and a visual signal for direction of movement. The 3rd task was a simple control task (ST) in which the same movement, either flexion or extension, was performed repeatedly after a go signal. Prior to voluntary movement there is neuronal activity specific to movement direction, in addition to nonspecific activity, in the prefrontal cortex. Movement-related activities may be involved in the effective execution of goal-directed voluntary movement.