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Related Experiment Videos

Putaminal activity for simple reactions or self-timed movements.

Irwin H Lee1, John A Assad

  • 1Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.

Journal of Neurophysiology
|March 4, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Basal ganglia-cortical circuits initiate movements by reaching an activity threshold. Neuronal activity builds gradually for self-timed movements and sharply for cued movements, influencing movement timing.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Motor Control
  • Basal Ganglia Function

Background:

  • The basal ganglia-cortical circuits are crucial for motor control.
  • Understanding movement initiation mechanisms is key to neurological research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of basal ganglia-cortical circuits in movement initiation.
  • To compare neuronal activity during externally cued versus self-timed movements.

Main Methods:

  • Monkeys were trained to perform arm movements in response to external cues and during self-timed intervals.
  • Neuronal activity in the posterior putamen was recorded and analyzed.
  • Activity patterns were compared between cued and self-timed movement trials.

Main Results:

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  • Posterior putaminal neurons showed comparable phasic discharges for both movement types.
  • Self-timed movements exhibited a slow, movement-locked build-up in neuronal activity preceding movement onset.
  • This premovement activity build-up was observed even in cued movements, correlating with faster reaction times.

Conclusions:

  • Basal ganglia-cortical circuit activity gradually increases to initiate movements, potentially reaching a threshold.
  • Movement initiation can be driven by either abrupt external cues or gradual internal timing.
  • Subtle changes in premovement neuronal activity are critical determinants of movement timing.