A Quantitative Analysis of Context-Dependent Remapping of Medial Frontal Cortex Neurons and Ensembles.

Flexible modes of behavior involve performance of similar actions in contextually relevant ways. The present study quantified the changes in how rat medial frontal cortex neurons respond to the same actions when performed in different task contexts (sequences or environments). Most neurons altered the mixture of actions they were responsive to in different contexts or sequences. Nevertheless, the responsivity profile of the ensemble remained fixed as did the ability of the ensemble to differentiate between the three actions. These mechanisms may help to contextualize the manner in which common events are represented across different situations.