Representing the dynamics of natural marmoset vocal behaviors in frontal cortex

We tested the respective contributions of primate premotor and prefrontal cortex to support vocal behavior. We applied a model-based GLM analysis that better accounts for the inherent variance in natural, continuous behaviors to characterize the activity of neurons throughout frontal cortex as freely-moving marmosets engaged in conversational exchanges. While analyses revealed functional clusters of neural activity related to the different processes involved in the vocal behavior, these clusters did not map to subfields of prefrontal or premotor cortex, as has been observed in more conventional task-based paradigms. Our results suggest a distributed functional organization for the myriad neural mechanisms underlying natural social interactions and has implications for our concepts of the role that frontal cortex plays in governing ethological behaviors in primates., , , # Representing the dynamics of natural marmoset vocal behaviors in frontal cortex

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.c2fqz61hj](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.c2fqz61hj)

We tested the respective contributions of primate premotor and prefrontal cortex to support vocal behavior. We applied a model-based GLM analysis that better accounts for the inherent variance in natural, continuous behaviors to characterize the activity of neurons throughout frontal cortex as freely-moving marmosets engaged in conversational exchanges.

## Description of the data and file structure

In dataset1 (folder **\"dataset1\"**), vocal behavior data and spike time data are stored in folders **\"pheeTimes\"** and **\"spikeTimes_DBSCAN3\"**, respectively. **\"files_good.mat\"** provides a list of good sessions and neurons. **\"read_dataset1.m\"** is used to load and process data from dataset1. The structure of the files and the objects within them are described as below.

* **\"files_good.mat\"**: the structure that lists the ...