scholarly journals Distributed task-specific processing of somatosensory feedback for voluntary motor control

eLife ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohsen Omrani ◽  
Chantelle D Murnaghan ◽  
J Andrew Pruszynski ◽  
Stephen H Scott
Keyword(s):  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Target Selection ◽  
Neural Responses ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Motor Action ◽  
Motor Behaviors ◽  
Somatosensory Feedback ◽  
Area 5 ◽  
Cortical Regions

Corrective responses to limb disturbances are surprisingly complex, but the neural basis of these goal-directed responses is poorly understood. Here we show that somatosensory feedback is transmitted to many sensory and motor cortical regions within 25 ms of a mechanical disturbance applied to the monkey’s arm. When limb feedback was salient to an ongoing motor action (task engagement), neurons in parietal area 5 immediately (~25 ms) increased their response to limb disturbances, whereas neurons in other regions did not alter their response until 15 to 40 ms later. In contrast, initiation of a motor action elicited by a limb disturbance (target selection) altered neural responses in primary motor cortex ~65 ms after the limb disturbance, and then in dorsal premotor cortex, with no effect in parietal regions until 150 ms post-perturbation. Our findings highlight broad parietofrontal circuits that provide the neural substrate for goal-directed corrections, an essential aspect of highly skilled motor behaviors.

scholarly journals Area-specific thalamocortical synchronization underlies the transition from motor planning to execution

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (6) ◽  
pp. e2012658118
Author(s):  
Abdulraheem Nashef ◽  
Rea Mitelman ◽  
Ran Harel ◽  
Mati Joshua ◽  
Yifat Prut
Keyword(s):  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Cell Activity ◽  
Motor Planning ◽  
Simultaneous Recording ◽  
Delayed Response ◽  
Neural Responses ◽  
Cortical Cells ◽  
Reaching Task ◽  
Motor Thalamus

We studied correlated firing between motor thalamic and cortical cells in monkeys performing a delayed-response reaching task. Simultaneous recording of thalamocortical activity revealed that around movement onset, thalamic cells were positively correlated with cell activity in the primary motor cortex but negatively correlated with the activity of the premotor cortex. The differences in the correlation contrasted with the average neural responses, which were similar in all three areas. Neuronal correlations reveal functional cooperation and opposition between the motor thalamus and distinct motor cortical areas with specific roles in planning vs. performing movements. Thus, by enhancing and suppressing motor and premotor firing, the motor thalamus can facilitate the transition from a motor plan to execution.

scholarly journals Causal roles of frontoparietal cortical areas in feedback control of the limb

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomohiko Takei ◽  
Stephen G. Lomber ◽  
Douglas J. Cook ◽  
Stephen H. Scott
Keyword(s):  
Feedback Control ◽  
Computational Models ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Control Policy ◽  
Response Speed ◽  
Optimal Feedback Control ◽  
Feedback Gain ◽  
Spatial Accuracy ◽  
Cortical Regions

SummaryGoal-directed motor corrections are surprisingly fast and complex, but little is known on how they are generated by the central nervous system. Here we show that temporary cooling of dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) or parietal area 5 (A5) in behaving monkeys caused impairments in corrective responses to mechanical perturbations of the forelimb. Deactivation of PMd impaired both spatial accuracy and response speed, whereas deactivation of A5 impaired spatial accuracy, but not response speed. Simulations based on optimal feedback control demonstrated that ‘deactivation’ of the control policy (reduction of feedback gain) impaired both spatial accuracy and response speed, whereas ‘deactivation’ in state estimation (reduction of Kalman gain) impaired spatial accuracy but not response speed, paralleling the impairments observed from deactivation of PMd and A5, respectively. Furthermore, combined deactivation of both cortical regions led to additive impairments of individual deactivations, whereas reducing the amount of cooling (i.e. milder cooling) to PMd led to impairments in response speed, but not spatial accuracy, both also predicted by the model simulations. These results provide causal support that higher order motor and somatosensory regions beyond primary somatosensory and primary motor cortex are involved in generating goal-directed motor responses. As well, the computational models suggest that the distinct patterns of impairments associated with these cortical regions reflect their unique functional roles in goal-directed feedback control.

scholarly journals Dorsal premotor cortex: neural correlates of reach target decisions based on a color-location matching rule and conflicting sensory evidence

2015 ◽  
Vol 113 (10) ◽  
pp. 3543-3573 ◽  
Author(s):  
Émilie Coallier ◽  
Thomas Michelet ◽  
John F. Kalaska
Keyword(s):  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Target Selection ◽  
Correct Choice ◽  
Neuron Activity ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
Matching Rule ◽  
Conflicting Evidence ◽  
Color Differences

We recorded single-neuron activity in dorsal premotor (PMd) and primary motor cortex (M1) of two monkeys in a reach-target selection task. The monkeys chose between two color-coded potential targets by determining which target's color matched the predominant color of a multicolored checkerboard-like Decision Cue (DC). Different DCs contained differing numbers of colored squares matching each target. The DCs provided evidence about the correct target ranging from unambiguous (one color only) to very ambiguous and conflicting (nearly equal number of squares of each color). Differences in choice behavior (reach response times and success rates as a function of DC ambiguity) of the monkeys suggested that each applied a different strategy for using the target-choice evidence in the DCs. Nevertheless, the appearance of the DCs evoked a transient coactivation of PMd neurons preferring both potential targets in both monkeys. Reach response time depended both on how long it took activity to increase in neurons that preferred the chosen target and on how long it took to suppress the activity of neurons that preferred the rejected target, in both correct-choice and error-choice trials. These results indicate that PMd neurons in this task are not activated exclusively by a signal proportional to the net color bias of the DCs. They are instead initially modulated by the conflicting evidence supporting both response choices; final target selection may result from a competition between representations of the alternative choices. The results also indicate a temporal overlap between action selection and action initiation processes in PMd and M1.

On-line Changing of Thinking about Words: The Effect of Cognitive Context on Neural Responses to Verb Reading

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (12) ◽  
pp. 2348-2362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liuba Papeo ◽  
Raffaella Ida Rumiati ◽  
Cinzia Cecchetto ◽  
Barbara Tomasino
Keyword(s):  
Mental Rotation ◽  
Word Processing ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Word Meaning ◽  
Relative Weight ◽  
Neural Responses ◽  
Cognitive Context ◽  
Motor Strategy ◽  
The Right

Activity in frontocentral motor regions is routinely reported when individuals process action words and is often interpreted as the implicit simulation of the word content. We hypothesized that these neural responses are not invariant components of action word processing but are modulated by the context in which they are evoked. Using fMRI, we assessed the relative weight of stimulus features (i.e., the intrinsic semantics of words) and contextual factors, in eliciting word-related sensorimotor activity. Participants silently read action-related and state verbs after performing a mental rotation task engaging either a motor strategy (i.e., referring visual stimuli to their own bodily movements) or a visuospatial strategy. The mental rotation tasks were used to induce, respectively, a motor and a nonmotor “cognitive context” into the following silent reading. Irrespective of the verb category, reading in the motor context, compared with reading in the nonmotor context, increased the activity in the left primary motor cortex, the bilateral premotor cortex, and the right somatosensory cortex. Thus, the cognitive context induced by the preceding motor strategy-based mental rotation modulated word-related sensorimotor responses, possibly reflecting the strategy of referring a word meaning to one's own bodily activity. This pattern, common to action and state verbs, suggests that the context in which words are encountered prevails over the intrinsic semantics of the stimuli in mediating the recruitment of sensorimotor regions.

The Contribution of Different Cortical Regions to the Control of Spatially Decoupled Eye–Hand Coordination

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 1194-1211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia F. Sayegh ◽  
Diana J. Gorbet ◽  
Kara M. Hawkins ◽  
Kari L. Hoffman ◽  
Lauren E. Sergio
Keyword(s):  
Single Unit ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Oscillatory Activity ◽  
Target Display ◽  
Neural Responses ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Control Research ◽  
Hand Coordination ◽  
Cortical Regions

Our brain's ability to flexibly control the communication between the eyes and the hand allows for our successful interaction with the objects located within our environment. This flexibility has been observed in the pattern of neural responses within key regions of the frontoparietal reach network. More specifically, our group has shown how single-unit and oscillatory activity within the dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) and the superior parietal lobule (SPL) change contingent on the level of visuomotor compatibility between the eyes and hand. Reaches that involve a coupling between the eyes and hand toward a common spatial target display a pattern of neural responses that differ from reaches that require eye–hand decoupling. Although previous work examined the altered spiking and oscillatory activity that occurs during different types of eye–hand compatibilities, they did not address how each of these measures of neurological activity interacts with one another. Thus, in an effort to fully characterize the relationship between oscillatory and single-unit activity during different types of eye–hand coordination, we measured the spike–field coherence (SFC) within regions of macaque SPL and PMd. We observed stronger SFC within PMdr and superficial regions of SPL (areas 5/PEc) during decoupled reaches, whereas PMdc and regions within SPL surrounding medial intrapareital sulcus had stronger SFC during coupled reaches. These results were supported by meta-analysis on human fMRI data. Our results support the proposal of altered cortical control during complex eye–hand coordination and highlight the necessity to account for the different eye–hand compatibilities in motor control research.

The frontal longitudinal system as revealed through the fiber microdissection technique: structural evidence underpinning the direct connectivity of the prefrontal-premotor circuitry

2020 ◽  
Vol 133 (5) ◽  
pp. 1503-1515 ◽  
Author(s):  
Spyridon Komaitis ◽  
Aristotelis V. Kalyvas ◽  
Georgios P. Skandalakis ◽  
Evangelos Drosos ◽  
Evgenia Lani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Frontal Area ◽  
Frontal Pole ◽  
Fiber System ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal ◽  
Anterior Extension ◽  
Brodmann Areas ◽  
Longitudinal Fiber ◽  
Long Fibers

OBJECTIVEThe purpose of this study was to investigate the morphology, connectivity, and correlative anatomy of the longitudinal group of fibers residing in the frontal area, which resemble the anterior extension of the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) and were previously described as the frontal longitudinal system (FLS).METHODSFifteen normal adult formalin-fixed cerebral hemispheres collected from cadavers were studied using the Klingler microdissection technique. Lateral to medial dissections were performed in a stepwise fashion starting from the frontal area and extending to the temporoparietal regions.RESULTSThe FLS was consistently identified as a fiber pathway residing just under the superficial U-fibers of the middle frontal gyrus or middle frontal sulcus (when present) and extending as far as the frontal pole. The authors were able to record two different configurations: one consisting of two distinct, parallel, longitudinal fiber chains (13% of cases), and the other consisting of a single stem of fibers (87% of cases). The fiber chains’ cortical terminations in the frontal and prefrontal area were also traced. More specifically, the FLS was always recorded to terminate in Brodmann areas 6, 46, 45, and 10 (premotor cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, pars triangularis, and frontal pole, respectively), whereas terminations in Brodmann areas 4 (primary motor cortex), 47 (pars orbitalis), and 9 were also encountered in some specimens. In relation to the SLF system, the FLS represented its anterior continuation in the majority of the hemispheres, whereas in a few cases it was recorded as a completely distinct tract. Interestingly, the FLS comprised shorter fibers that were recorded to interconnect exclusively frontal areas, thus exhibiting different fiber architecture when compared to the long fibers forming the SLF.CONCLUSIONSThe current study provides consistent, focused, and robust evidence on the morphology, architecture, and correlative anatomy of the FLS. This fiber system participates in the axonal connectivity of the prefrontal-premotor cortices and allegedly subserves cognitive-motor functions. Based in the SLF hypersegmentation concept that has been advocated by previous authors, the FLS should be approached as a distinct frontal segment within the superior longitudinal system.

scholarly journals Changes in Sensorimotor Cortical Activation in Children Using Prostheses and Prosthetic Simulators

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 991
Author(s):  
Christopher Copeland ◽  
Mukul Mukherjee ◽  
Yingying Wang ◽  
Kaitlin Fraser ◽  
Jorge M. Zuniga
Keyword(s):  
Near Infrared ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Tactile Feedback ◽  
Cortical Activation ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Neural Responses ◽  
Motor Tasks ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Limb Reduction ◽  
Motor Dexterity

This study aimed to examine the neural responses of children using prostheses and prosthetic simulators to better elucidate the emulation abilities of the simulators. We utilized functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to evaluate the neural response in five children with a congenital upper limb reduction (ULR) using a body-powered prosthesis to complete a 60 s gross motor dexterity task. The ULR group was matched with five typically developing children (TD) using their non-preferred hand and a prosthetic simulator on the same hand. The ULR group had lower activation within the primary motor cortex (M1) and supplementary motor area (SMA) compared to the TD group, but nonsignificant differences in the primary somatosensory area (S1). Compared to using their non-preferred hand, the TD group exhibited significantly higher action in S1 when using the simulator, but nonsignificant differences in M1 and SMA. The non-significant differences in S1 activation between groups and the increased activation evoked by the simulator’s use may suggest rapid changes in feedback prioritization during tool use. We suggest that prosthetic simulators may elicit increased reliance on proprioceptive and tactile feedback during motor tasks. This knowledge may help to develop future prosthesis rehabilitative training or the improvement of tool-based skills.

scholarly journals Evidence accumulation relates to perceptual consciousness and monitoring

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Pereira ◽  
Pierre Megevand ◽  
Mi Xue Tan ◽  
Wenwen Chang ◽  
Shuo Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Posterior Parietal Cortex ◽  
Detection Threshold ◽  
Task Demands ◽  
Neuron Activity ◽  
Neural Responses ◽  
Neuronal Responses ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Perceptual Consciousness ◽  
Evidence Accumulation ◽  
Posterior Parietal

AbstractA fundamental scientific question concerns the neural basis of perceptual consciousness and perceptual monitoring resulting from the processing of sensory events. Although recent studies identified neurons reflecting stimulus visibility, their functional role remains unknown. Here, we show that perceptual consciousness and monitoring involve evidence accumulation. We recorded single-neuron activity in a participant with a microelectrode in the posterior parietal cortex, while they detected vibrotactile stimuli around detection threshold and provided confidence estimates. We find that detected stimuli elicited neuronal responses resembling evidence accumulation during decision-making, irrespective of motor confounds or task demands. We generalize these findings in healthy volunteers using electroencephalography. Behavioral and neural responses are reproduced with a computational model considering a stimulus as detected if accumulated evidence reaches a bound, and confidence as the distance between maximal evidence and that bound. We conclude that gradual changes in neuronal dynamics during evidence accumulation relates to perceptual consciousness and perceptual monitoring in humans.

scholarly journals Cerebellar rTMS and PAS effectively induce cerebellar plasticity

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martje G. Pauly ◽  
Annika Steinmeier ◽  
Christina Bolte ◽  
Feline Hamami ◽  
Elinor Tzvi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Motor Cortex ◽  
Healthy Subjects ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Cortical Excitability ◽  
Motor Evoked Potentials ◽  
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Motor Pathways ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Cerebellar Plasticity

AbstractNon-invasive brain stimulation techniques including repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS), paired associative stimulation (PAS), and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have been applied over the cerebellum to induce plasticity and gain insights into the interaction of the cerebellum with neo-cortical structures including the motor cortex. We compared the effects of 1 Hz rTMS, cTBS, PAS and tDCS given over the cerebellum on motor cortical excitability and interactions between the cerebellum and dorsal premotor cortex / primary motor cortex in two within subject designs in healthy controls. In experiment 1, rTMS, cTBS, PAS, and tDCS were applied over the cerebellum in 20 healthy subjects. In experiment 2, rTMS and PAS were compared to sham conditions in another group of 20 healthy subjects. In experiment 1, PAS reduced cortical excitability determined by motor evoked potentials (MEP) amplitudes, whereas rTMS increased motor thresholds and facilitated dorsal premotor-motor and cerebellum-motor cortex interactions. TDCS and cTBS had no significant effects. In experiment 2, MEP amplitudes increased after rTMS and motor thresholds following PAS. Analysis of all participants who received rTMS and PAS showed that MEP amplitudes were reduced after PAS and increased following rTMS. rTMS also caused facilitation of dorsal premotor-motor cortex and cerebellum-motor cortex interactions. In summary, cerebellar 1 Hz rTMS and PAS can effectively induce plasticity in cerebello-(premotor)-motor pathways provided larger samples are studied.

scholarly journals Periinfarct rewiring supports recovery after primary motor cortex stroke

2021 ◽  
pp. 0271678X2110029
Author(s):  
Mitsouko van Assche ◽  
Elisabeth Dirren ◽  
Alexia Bourgeois ◽  
Andreas Kleinschmidt ◽  
Jonas Richiardi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Motor Cortex ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Core Network ◽  
Small Spatial Scale ◽  
The Core ◽  
Hand Dexterity ◽  
Motor Network ◽  
Motor Improvement

After stroke restricted to the primary motor cortex (M1), it is uncertain whether network reorganization associated with recovery involves the periinfarct or more remote regions. We studied 16 patients with focal M1 stroke and hand paresis. Motor function and resting-state MRI functional connectivity (FC) were assessed at three time points: acute (<10 days), early subacute (3 weeks), and late subacute (3 months). FC correlates of recovery were investigated at three spatial scales, (i) ipsilesional non-infarcted M1, (ii) core motor network (M1, premotor cortex (PMC), supplementary motor area (SMA), and primary somatosensory cortex), and (iii) extended motor network including all regions structurally connected to the upper limb representation of M1. Hand dexterity was impaired only in the acute phase ( P = 0.036). At a small spatial scale, clinical recovery was more frequently associated with connections involving ipsilesional non-infarcted M1 (Odds Ratio = 6.29; P = 0.036). At a larger scale, recovery correlated with increased FC strength in the core network compared to the extended motor network (rho = 0.71; P = 0.006). These results suggest that FC changes associated with motor improvement involve the perilesional M1 and do not extend beyond the core motor network. Core motor regions, and more specifically ipsilesional non-infarcted M1, could hence become primary targets for restorative therapies.

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