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Updated: Nov 4, 2025
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Measuring and Manipulating Functionally Specific Neural Pathways in the Human Motor System with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Published on: February 23, 2020
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Human Somatosensory Cortex Is Modulated during Motor Planning.
Daniel J Gale1, J Randall Flanagan1,2, Jason P Gallivan3,2,4
1Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada.
Summary
Motor planning prepares the brain for action by altering neural activity in both the primary motor cortex (M1) and the primary somatosensory cortex (S1). This research shows S1 is also primed for sensory feedback during movement planning.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Motor Control
- Somatosensory Processing
Background:
- Motor control theories suggest movement planning involves preparing the primary motor cortex (M1) for action execution.
- Theories also highlight the role of sensory prediction and processing, implying deficits in primary somatosensory cortex (S1) can impact motor control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if motor planning modulates neural activity in S1, in addition to M1, in preparation for sensory feedback during movement.
- To determine if effector information, decodable from M1 during planning, is also present in S1 before movement initiation.
Main Methods:
- Two human functional MRI studies were conducted using delayed object manipulation tasks.
- Analysis focused on premovement neural activity patterns in M1 and S1 in 31 participants.
- Decoding techniques were used to identify effector information from brain activity.
Main Results:
- Motor effector information was successfully decoded from M1 activity before movement in both studies.
- Crucially, effector information was also present in S1 activity well before movement onset.
- S1 subfields showed distinct patterns: area 3b encoded contralateral hand information, while areas 1 and 2 encoded information bilaterally.
Conclusions:
- Motor planning prepares not only the motor system but also the somatosensory system for upcoming actions.
- This modulation of S1 activity likely primes it to anticipate and process sensory feedback during movement execution.
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