Crossmodal associative memory representations in rodent orbitofrontal cortex

Firing patterns of neurons in the orbitofrontal cortex (OF) were analyzed i n rats trained to perform a task that encouraged incidental associations be tween distinct odors and the places where their occurrence was detected. Ma ny of the neurons fired differentially when the animals were at a particula r location or sampled particular odors. Furthermore, a substantial fraction of the cells exhibited odor-specific firing patterns prior to odor present ation, when the animal arrived at a location associated with that odor. The se findings suggest that neurons in the OF encode cross-modal associations between odors and locations within long-term memory.