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Region-Specific Summation Patterns Inform the Role of Cortical Areas in Selecting Motor Plans
Steve W C Chang1, Jeffrey L Calton2, Bonnie M Lawrence3
1Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA Department of Neurobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)
|March 18, 2015
Summary
Movement selection requires nonlinear interactions between spatial and effector signals. Research indicates parietal reach region (PRR) and frontal eye field (FEF) neurons exhibit supralinear summation, unlike lateral intraparietal area (LIP) neurons.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Motor Control
- Computational Neuroscience
Background:
- Movement selection involves integrating effector and spatial information.
- Simple summation of signals is insufficient; nonlinear mechanisms are necessary.
- Supralinear multiplicative interactions can amplify signals for response selection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural mechanisms of response selection for eye versus arm movements.
- To determine if effector and spatial signals interact supralinearly in specific brain regions.
- To identify brain areas involved in selecting motor plans.
Main Methods:
- Electrophysiological recordings in non-human primates.
- Analysis of neuronal activity in the parietal reach region (PRR), lateral intraparietal area (LIP), frontal eye field (FEF), and area 5 (A5).
- Examining the summation properties of spatial and effector signals during movement planning.
Main Results:
- Neurons in PRR, FEF, and A5 exhibited supralinear interactions between effector and spatial signals.
- LIP neurons did not show significant supralinear summation.
- The degree of supralinearity varied across the studied brain regions.
Conclusions:
- Supralinear interactions in PRR and FEF likely mediate the selection of visually guided eye versus arm movements.
- LIP may not play a primary role in this specific aspect of response selection.
- These findings contribute to understanding the neural basis of motor planning and decision-making.
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