Comparison of Effector-Specific Signals in Frontal and Parietal Cortices

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Abstract
We previously demonstrated that the activities of neurons in the lateral intraparietal area (LIP) and the parietal reach region (PRR) of the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) are modulated by nonspatial effector-specific information. We now report similar modulation in FEF, an area of frontal cortex that is reciprocally connected with LIP. Although it is possible that these effector-specific signals originate in LIP and are conveyed to FEF, it is also possible that these signals originate in FEF and are “fed back” to LIP. We found that signal magnitude was no larger, and onset time no earlier, in FEF compared with LIP. Moreover, effector-specific activity in FEF, but not in LIP, was largely driven by spatial prediction. These results suggest that the saccade-related effector-specific signals found in LIP do not originate in FEF. Conversely, LIP may contribute to the effector-specific signals found in FEF, but does not wholly account for them.