Measurable fields-to-spike causality and its dependence on cortical layer and area

Distinct dynamics in different cortical layers are apparent in neuronal and local field potential (LFP) patterns, yet their associations in the context of laminar processing have been sparingly analyzed. Here, we study the laminar organization of spike-field causal flow within and across visual (V4) and frontal areas (PFC) of monkeys performing a visual task. Using an event-based quantification of LFPs and a directed information estimator, we found area and frequency specificity in the laminar organization of spike-field causal connectivity. Gamma bursts (40–80 Hz) in the superficial layers of V4 largely drove intralaminar spiking. These gamma influences also fed forward up the cortical hierarchy to modulate laminar spiking in PFC. In PFC, the direction of intralaminar information flow was from spikes → fields where these influences dually controlled top-down and bottom-up processing. Our results, enabled by innovative methodologies, emphasize the complexities of spike-field causal interactions amongst multiple brain areas and behavior.