Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Major Somatic Sensory Pathways01:28

Major Somatic Sensory Pathways

3.3K
Sensory impulses related to touch, pressure, vibration, and proprioception from various body parts, such as the limbs, trunk, neck, and posterior head, travel to the cerebral cortex through the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway. The pathway’s name derives from the two white-matter tracts that convey the impulses: the spinal cord's posterior column and the brainstem's medial lemniscus. First-order sensory neurons extend their axons into the spinal cord, forming the...
3.3K
Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex01:14

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

8.7K
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....
8.7K
Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex01:23

Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex

3.5K
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...
3.5K
Indirect Motor Pathways01:22

Indirect Motor Pathways

3.8K
The indirect motor or extrapyramidal pathways originate in the brainstem, the lower portion of the brain that connects it to the spinal cord. They consist of several distinct tracts, each with specialized functions. The four main tracts of the indirect motor pathways are the vestibulospinal tract, the reticulospinal tract, the tectospinal tract, and the rubrospinal tract.
The vestibulospinal tract originates in the vestibular nuclei of the brainstem. The vestibular system detects changes in...
3.8K
Diencephalon: Thalamus and Information Relay01:27

Diencephalon: Thalamus and Information Relay

5.2K
The thalamus, often called “the gateway to the cerebral cortex,” is vital in processing and directing sensory and motor signals throughout the brain. Almost all inputs destined for the cerebral cortex, except for olfactory signals, are relayed through the thalamus. The thalamus is  a sophisticated relay station, channeling information from various brain regions to the cerebral cortex, as well as a filter, prioritizing certain signals over others based on current physiological...
5.2K
Somatosensation01:33

Somatosensation

44.4K
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.
44.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

GGOC-AD: a mHealth tool to challenge obsessive-compulsive related maladaptive beliefs in Spanish community adolescents: a randomized controlled trial.

Child and adolescent mental health·2026
Same author

Humans correctly assign emotional valence of rat vocalizations.

Frontiers in psychology·2026
Same author

Decreased thickness of the individually-mapped genital cortex after childhood sexual abuse exposure in adult women.

Communications biology·2026
Same author

Cognitive training via mobile app for addressing eating disorder-related cognitions in the general adolescent population: Randomized controlled trial.

Journal of behavior therapy and experimental psychiatry·2026
Same author

Functional gradients facilitate tactile sensing in elephant whiskers.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same author

What Do Adolescents Think About an App Designed to Reduce Cognitive Risk Factors for Eating Disorders? A Mixed Methods Study.

Behavior therapy·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 12, 2026

Multiscale Investigations of Cortical Processing by Integrating Laminar Polytrodes and Optogenetics with Micro Electrocorticography in Rodents
07:52

Multiscale Investigations of Cortical Processing by Integrating Laminar Polytrodes and Optogenetics with Micro Electrocorticography in Rodents

Published on: May 23, 2025

924

Vibrissa motor cortex activity suppresses contralateral whisking behavior.

Christian Laut Ebbesen1,2, Guy Doron1, Constanze Lenschow1

  • 1Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

Nature Neuroscience
|November 8, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The vibrissa motor cortex, crucial for whisker control, primarily suppresses whisker movement rather than generating it. This finding clarifies the cortex's role in sensory processing and motor suppression.

More Related Videos

Whole-Brain 3D Activation and Functional Connectivity Mapping in Mice using Transcranial Functional Ultrasound Imaging
11:57

Whole-Brain 3D Activation and Functional Connectivity Mapping in Mice using Transcranial Functional Ultrasound Imaging

Published on: February 24, 2021

11.9K
Stimulating the Lip Motor Cortex with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
12:09

Stimulating the Lip Motor Cortex with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Published on: June 14, 2014

19.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 12, 2026

Multiscale Investigations of Cortical Processing by Integrating Laminar Polytrodes and Optogenetics with Micro Electrocorticography in Rodents
07:52

Multiscale Investigations of Cortical Processing by Integrating Laminar Polytrodes and Optogenetics with Micro Electrocorticography in Rodents

Published on: May 23, 2025

924
Whole-Brain 3D Activation and Functional Connectivity Mapping in Mice using Transcranial Functional Ultrasound Imaging
11:57

Whole-Brain 3D Activation and Functional Connectivity Mapping in Mice using Transcranial Functional Ultrasound Imaging

Published on: February 24, 2021

11.9K
Stimulating the Lip Motor Cortex with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
12:09

Stimulating the Lip Motor Cortex with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Published on: June 14, 2014

19.8K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Motor Control
  • Sensory Processing

Background:

  • The vibrissa motor cortex is implicated in whisker motor control, but its precise function remains unclear.
  • Previous research focused on movement generation, showing weak correlations between cortical activity and whisking.
  • The exact role of the vibrissa motor cortex in whisker behavior is unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of the vibrissa motor cortex in whisker motor control and sensory processing.
  • To elucidate the function of vibrissa motor cortex neurons during active touch and whisking behaviors.
  • To determine whether vibrissa motor cortex activity promotes or suppresses whisker movement.

Main Methods:

  • Recording neuronal activity in the vibrissa motor cortex during natural behaviors like whisking and object palpation.
  • Utilizing juxtacellular, nanostimulation, and in vivo whole-cell recordings to analyze neuronal responses.
  • Employing intracortical microstimulation and inactivation protocols to assess the effects of cortical manipulation on whisker movements.

Main Results:

  • Vibrissa motor cortex activity decreased during active touch (object palpation, social touch) and free whisking.
  • Social touch led to decreased spiking, reduced excitability, and hyperpolarization in cortical neurons.
  • Stimulation of the vibrissa motor cortex caused whisker retraction, while inactivation resulted in increased protraction and movement.

Conclusions:

  • The vibrissa motor cortex functions primarily to suppress whisker movement, acting as a brake on active touch and whisking.
  • This suppression role contrasts with the traditional view of motor cortex involvement in movement generation.
  • The findings redefine the understanding of the vibrissa motor cortex's contribution to sensory-motor integration.