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Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex01:14

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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.
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Related Experiment Video

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In Vivo Wireless Optogenetic Control of Skilled Motor Behavior
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Cortex commands the performance of skilled movement.

Jian-Zhong Guo1, Austin R Graves1, Wendy W Guo1

  • 1Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States.

Elife
|December 4, 2015
PubMed
Summary

The mammalian cerebral cortex is crucial for voluntary motor control. Optogenetic inhibition revealed its necessity for skilled prehension, with a rebound effect observed post-inhibition in trained, food-deprived mice.

Keywords:
cortexmotor controlmouseneuroscienceoptogenetics

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Motor Control
  • Behavioral Neuroscience

Background:

  • The mammalian cerebral cortex's role in voluntary motor control is established, yet specific functions remain elusive.
  • Understanding cortical contributions is vital for deciphering complex motor behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the necessity and sufficiency of cortical activity for skilled prehension.
  • To elucidate the role of the cerebral cortex in initiating and executing learned motor tasks.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized optogenetic inhibition for rapid, reversible manipulation of cortical activity in mice.
  • Assessed performance in a head-fixed task involving reaching, grabbing, and eating a food pellet.

Main Results:

  • Sudden cortical inhibition disrupted the initiation and execution of skilled prehension but spared untrained forelimb movements.
  • Normal prehension occurred immediately after inhibition cessation, even without external cues.
  • This 'rebound' prehension was observed only in trained, food-deprived animals, suggesting a motivation-gated motor engram.

Conclusions:

  • Cortical activity is both necessary and sufficient for the execution of learned prehension skills.
  • A motivation-gated motor engram can be activated upon the cessation of cortical inhibition.
  • These findings highlight the dynamic role of the cortex in learned motor behavior.