Coding cognition Representing and communicating information in perceptual and memory systems

The mammalian brain uses neural networks to perform various impressive cognitive computations. In this thesis, I explore the neural code neural networks use to perform such computations. In chapter 2, we investigate the correlations of spiking activity of entire populations in the freely moving rat between- and within 4 cortical areas: visual cortex, whisker fields of the somatosensory cortex, perirhinal cortex, and the CA1 region of the hippocampus. In chapter 3, we investigate if, besides spikes, the phase-of-firing relative to the theta oscillations of the Local Field Potentials provides a means for the representation of audiovisual information. In chapter 4, we address the contemporary problem of non-sensory related signals in behavioral electrophysiology, and test if a forced delay in a behavioral tasks provides us with a method to isolate sensory related activity from behavior related activity. Lastly, in chapter 5, I summarize the information and discuss the implications for the theoretical model as laid out by Pennartz (2009, 2015).