A mathematical model of planning in the prefrontal cortex

The prefrontal cortex is involved in a lot of complex cognitive behaviours, such as problem solving, planning, reasoning, and decision making. However, the biological mechanisms of these computations are not clear. To understand the mechanisms, we theoretically consider the experimental result of path-planning task by Mushiake et al., using a mathematical model which we name the potential network model. The result of simulations shows that our model is able to take a correct path in most trials regardless of goal positions and block patterns. Our model also reproduces the characteristics of neurons' activities both in the prefrontal cortex and the primary motor cortex. This study indicates that although the potential network model is abstract, it can be useful for modelling higher brain functions.