Neural representation and the cortical code

The principle function of the central nervous system is to represent and tr ansform information and thereby mediate appropriate decisions and behaviors . The cerebral cortex is one of the primary seats of the internal represent ations maintained and used in perception, memory, decision making, motor co ntrol, and subjective experience, but the basic coding scheme by which this information is carried and transformed by neurons is not yet fully underst ood. This article defines and reviews how information is represented in the firing rates and temporal patterns of populations of cortical neurons, wit h a particular emphasis on how this information mediates behavior and exper ience.