Mouse sensorimotor cortex reflects complex kinematic details during reaching and grasping

Published: April 22, 2025

Coordinated forelimb actions, such as reaching and grasping, rely on motor commands that span a spectrum from abstract target specification to detailed instantaneous muscle control. The sensorimotor cortex is central controlling these complex movements, yet how the command signals are distributed across its numerous subregions remains unclear. In particular, in mice it unknown if primary (M1) somatosensory (S1) cortices represent low-level joint angle details addition high-level like movement direction. Here, we combine high quality markerless tracking two-photon imaging during reach-to-grasp task quantify movement-related activity mouse caudal area (CFA) S1 (fS1). Linear decoding models reveal strong representation of proximal distal angles both areas, areas support with comparable fidelity. Despite shared encoding, time course target-specific information varied areas. CFA exhibited early onset sustained encoding while fS1 was more transiently modulated around lift onset. These results unique contributions implicating cortical circuit for control than has been previously considered.

Language: Английский

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Motor cortical inactivation impairs corrective submovements in mice performing a hold-still center-out reach task

Journal of Neurophysiology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 132(3), P. 829 - 848

Published: July 31, 2024

To test the role of different cortical areas in holding still and reaching to targets, this study combined home-cage training with optogenetic silencing as mice engaged a learned center-out-reach task. Inactivation specifically contralateral caudal forelimb area (CFA) impaired corrective movements necessary reach spatial targets earn reward.

Language: Английский

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Pallidal prototypic neuron and astrocyte activities regulate flexible reward-seeking behaviors

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Feb. 11, 2025

Behavioral flexibility allows animals to adjust actions changing environments. While the basal ganglia are critical for adaptation, specific role of external globus pallidus (GPe) is unclear. This study examined contributions two major GPe cell types-prototypic neurons projecting subthalamic nucleus (Proto GPe→STN neurons) and astrocytes-to behavioral flexibility. Using longitudinal operant conditioning with context reversals, we found that Proto dynamically represent contextual information correlating optimality. In contrast, astrocytes exhibited gradual encoding independent performance. Deleting impaired adaptive responses action-outcome contingencies without altering initial reward-seeking acquisition, highlighting their in enabling Furthermore, discovered integrate inhibitory striatal excitatory inputs, modulating downstream circuits support flexible behavior. research elucidates complementary roles cellular mechanisms

Language: Английский

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Dissociable roles of distinct thalamic circuits in learning reaches to spatial targets

Nature Communications, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 16(1)

Published: March 26, 2025

Abstract Reaching movements are critical for survival, and learned controlled by distributed motor networks. Even though the thalamus is a highly interconnected node in these networks, its role learning controlling reaches remains underexplored. We report dissociable roles of two thalamic forelimb circuits coursing through parafascicular (Pf) ventroanterior/ventrolateral (VAL) nuclei refining to spatial target. Using 2-photon calcium imaging as mice learn directional reaches, we observe high reach-related activity from both early learning, which decreases with learning. Pf encodes reach direction more so than VAL. Consistently, bilateral lesions before training impairs refinement direction. Pre-training VAL does not affect direction, but increases speed target overshoot. Lesions either nucleus after execution reaches. These findings reveal different governing distinct aspects

Language: Английский

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From avoidance to new action: the multifaceted role of the striatal indirect pathway

Nature reviews. Neuroscience, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: May 7, 2025

Language: Английский

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