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Related Concept Videos

Indirect Motor Pathways01:22

Indirect Motor Pathways

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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.
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The direct motor pathways, also known as the pyramidal tracts, are a group of neural pathways that originate in the brain and descend through the spinal cord. They control the voluntary movement of the body. There are two major direct motor pathways: the corticospinal and the corticobulbar tracts.
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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...
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Overview of Somatic Sensory Pathways01:29

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Somatic sensory or somatosensory pathways refer to the neural pathways that carry information related to touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and proprioception from the skin, muscles, tendons, and joints to the brain. These pathways involve several stages of processing and integration of sensory information.
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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...
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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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In Vivo Wireless Optogenetic Control of Skilled Motor Behavior
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Striatal indirect pathway mediates exploration via collicular competition.

Jaeeon Lee1, Bernardo L Sabatini2

  • 1Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

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Summary

Indirect striatal projection neurons (iSPNs) in the basal ganglia control action selection by modulating the superior colliculus (SC). This circuit mechanism is crucial for suppressing unwanted actions and promoting exploration during decision-making.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Decision Making
  • Motor Control

Background:

  • Optimal decision-making requires suppressing actions with negative outcomes and exploring alternatives.
  • The basal ganglia are implicated in action selection and exploration, but underlying circuit mechanisms are unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the circuit mechanisms by which indirect striatal projection neurons (iSPNs) contribute to action selection and exploration.
  • To investigate the role of the superior colliculus (SC) in mediating these basal ganglia functions.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a lateralized licking task in a rodent model.
  • Employed optogenetics to activate and inactivate iSPNs.
  • Recorded neural activity in the lateral superior colliculus (lSC).

Main Results:

  • iSPN activation suppressed contraversive licking and promoted ipsiversive licking by differentially modulating contralateral and ipsilateral lSC activity.
  • Optogenetic inactivation of iSPNs impaired suppression of devalued actions and reduced exploratory licking.
  • Revealed an inter-collicular competitive mechanism where iSPNs disinhibit the contralateral lSC to trigger licking.

Conclusions:

  • iSPNs utilize competitive interactions between superior colliculus hemispheres to trigger motor actions.
  • This study proposes a general circuit mechanism for exploration during action selection mediated by the basal ganglia and superior colliculus.