Distinct neocortical and entorhinal networks for time, space, and reward

Variables relevant to behavior and cognition are often synthesized via computations that combine external cues and internal states. Especially salient and ubiquitous among these variables are time, space, and reward, but how they are simultaneously represented throughout the neocortex and the entorhinal cortex is not well understood. Here, we devised a behavioral task in virtual reality that includes timing, navigation, and reward components and, using a multifocus microscope that permits simultaneous mesoscopic Ca2+ imaging of neocortex and entorhinal cortex, we uncover dedicated and distinct subnetworks for interval timing, spatial navigation, and reward. Interestingly, the timing subnetwork includes a strong contribution from barrel cortex, pointing towards a previously unknown role for this cortex in interval timing.