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Related Concept Videos

Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex01:23

Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex

The somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobes is crucial for interpreting sensory data such as touch, temperature, and proprioception. The somatosensory cortex, situated in the parietal lobes, plays a vital role in interpreting sensory information like touch, temperature, and proprioception—awareness of body position. This specialized brain region features an organized structure wherein neurons at the top primarily process sensations originating from the lower body. In contrast, those at the...
Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex01:14

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.
Association Areas of the Cortex01:21

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
Somatosensation01:33

Somatosensation

The somatosensory system relays sensory information from the skin, mucous membranes, limbs, and joints. Somatosensation is more familiarly known as the sense of touch. A typical somatosensory pathway includes three types of long neurons: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary neurons have cell bodies located near the spinal cord in groups of neurons called dorsal root ganglia. The sensory neurons of ganglia innervate designated areas of skin called dermatomes.
Direct Motor Pathways01:11

Direct Motor Pathways

The direct motor pathways, also known as the pyramidal tracts, are a group of neural pathways that originate in the brain and descend through the spinal cord. They control the voluntary movement of the body. There are two major direct motor pathways: the corticospinal and the corticobulbar tracts.
The corticospinal tract is responsible for the voluntary movement of the limbs and trunk. It originates in the cerebral cortex of the brain and descends through the cerebrum's internal capsule and the...
Action Potential01:14

Action Potential

Neurons communicate by firing action potentials—the electrochemical signal that is propagated along the axon. The signal results in the release of neurotransmitters at axon terminals, thereby transmitting information to the nervous system. An action potential is a specific "all-or-none" change in membrane potential that results in a rapid spike in voltage.
Membrane potential in neurons
Neurons typically have a resting membrane potential of about -70 millivolts (mV). When they receive...

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Related Experiment Video

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In Vivo Wireless Optogenetic Control of Skilled Motor Behavior
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Published on: November 22, 2021

Synaptic interactions between forelimb-related motor cortex neurons in behaving primates.

W S Smith1, E E Fetz

  • 1Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-7290, USA.

Journal of Neurophysiology
|May 15, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Researchers studied synaptic connections between motor cortex cells in monkeys. They found common input is a primary driver of motor cortex cell coordination, especially between nearby neurons.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Motor Control
  • Computational Neuroscience

Background:

  • Understanding neural circuits in the motor cortex is crucial for deciphering motor control.
  • Synaptic interactions between neurons shape network function and output.
  • Previous research has explored motor cortex activity during movement, but detailed synaptic interactions remain less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the nature and prevalence of synaptic interactions between neighboring motor cortex cells.
  • To determine how these interactions relate to neuronal response similarity and cortical proximity.
  • To identify the types of synaptic connections (common input, serial excitation/inhibition) present in the motor cortex.

Main Methods:

  • Recorded activity from pairs of motor cortex cells in monkeys performing isometric wrist torque tasks.
  • Analyzed neuronal responses using response-aligned averages.
  • Quantified synaptic interactions using cross-correlation histograms (cross-correlograms).
  • Measured synaptic linkage strength via the normalized area of correlogram features.
  • Correlated interaction strength with response similarity and cell location (cortical distance and layer).

Main Results:

  • Significant synaptic features were found in 39% of cell pairs.
  • Common synaptic input (central peak) was the most frequent interaction (77% of significant features).
  • Serial excitatory connections (lagged peaks) were observed in about one-third of common input cases.
  • Strongest interactions occurred between cells <400 microns apart.
  • A significant proportion of common input targeted cells in layer V.

Conclusions:

  • Common synaptic input is a dominant factor shaping the coordinated activity of neighboring motor cortex neurons.
  • The strength of synaptic interaction is positively related to response similarity, suggesting functional coupling.
  • Proximity and cortical layer are key determinants of synaptic interaction patterns, with layer V neurons receiving substantial common input.