Fig. 2: Task and behavioral information is represented by distinct activity modes.

a, Decoding accuracy for stimulus (trial type instructed by object location), choice (lick direction), outcome (rewarded versus unrewarded), trial epoch (baseline, sample, delay, response), reaction time (fast versus slow trials) and ignore trials. Decoding is performed independently at each time point on population responses generated from different combinations of single neuron trial data (mean ± s.d. across runs, Methods). Only neurons with more than ten error trials of each trial type are included (n = 2,039). b, Left: neural trajectories and selectivity directions in activity space. Error trial trajectories distinguish stimulus versus choice selectivity. Right: correlation of stimulus and choice selective directions across time. Bounding boxes, activity modes are selective directions in specific epochs. Green, stimulus mode. Magenta, choice and action modes. Only neurons with more than five error trials of each trial type are included (n = 3,966). c, ALM population activity along specific activity modes in correct trials. Mean ± s.e.m. (bootstrap, Methods). Blue, ‘lick right’ trials instructed by object location; red, ‘lick left’ trials. Percentage of activity variance captured is shown at top. d, Activity projection in error trials. Mean ± s.e.m. (bootstrap, Methods). Light blue, ‘lick right’ trials instructed by object location, but mice licked left; light red, ‘lick left’ trials in which mice licked right. e, Activity projection in ignore trials. Mean ± s.e.m. (bootstrap, Methods). Activity modes are computed separately from c and d using neurons with more than two ignore trials of each trial type (n = 546). Dashed lines, activity in correct trials. Dark blue, ‘lick right’ trials instructed by object location; dark red, ‘lick left’ trials. f, Activity projection in trials in which mice licked before the go cue. Activity is aligned to the first lick. Mean ± s.e.m. (bootstrap, Methods). Only neurons with more than three early lick trials of each trial type are included (n = 1,994). Also see Extended Data Fig. 3. g, Left: activity projection separately by fast or slow reaction time. Top and bottom 1/3 of trials sorted by reaction time. Correct trials only. The x axis is the same as in panels c and d. Mean ± s.e.m. (bootstrap, Methods). Right: activity projection during the last 200 ms of the delay epoch. Trials with the fastest (top 1/3), intermediate (middle 1/3) and slowest reaction times (bottom 1/3). Mean ± s.e.m. (bootstrap, Methods). Only neurons with more than five error trials and more than two trials of each reaction time condition are included (n = 3,918). *P = 0.002; ***P = 5.06 × 10⁻¹⁴, two-tailed t-test. a.u., arbitrary units; RT, reaction time.