Corollary Discharge for Action and Cognition.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• A copy of motor commands, known as corollary discharge, is sent to other brain regions to anticipate movement.
• This review explores the generalization of corollary discharge from motor to cognitive systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the role of corollary discharge in sensorimotor processing and its potential extension to cognitive functions.
• To introduce forward models as a framework for understanding corollary discharge in perception, movement, and decision-making.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on corollary discharge in motor and cognitive systems.
• Analysis of causal evidence from pathway inactivation studies.
• Conceptual extension of corollary discharge to cognitive forward models.

Main Results:

• The oculomotor pathway serves as a model for corollary discharge in sensorimotor processing.
• Forward models can elucidate the contribution of corollary discharge to perception and movement.
• Corollary discharge may underpin cognitive forward models for decision-making.

Conclusions:

• The concept of corollary discharge may be broadly applicable to cognitive processes, including decision-making.
• This framework offers new insights into neural circuits involved in sequential decision-making.
• Dysfunction in these corollary discharge mechanisms may contribute to psychiatric disorders.