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Diverse operant control of different motor cortex populations during learning
Nuria Vendrell-Llopis1, Ching Fang2, Albert J Qü2
1Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
Current Biology : CB
|February 27, 2022
Summary
Mice learned to control deep pyramidal tract (PT) neurons more effectively than intra-telencephalic (IT) neurons during brain-machine interface training. This suggests the motor cortex is better suited for controlling PT neuron activity for motor commands.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Motor Control
- Brain-Machine Interfaces
Background:
- Motor learning involves controlling motor cortex activity.
- Intra-telencephalic (IT) and pyramidal tract (PT) neurons are key motor cortex outputs.
- It's unknown if the brain can equally learn to control IT and PT neuron activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether animals can learn to control IT versus PT neuron activity.
- To compare the learnability of modulating these two distinct neuronal populations.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a calcium-imaging-based brain-machine interface (CaBMI).
- Trained mice to modulate either IT or PT neuron activity for reward.
- Compared learning speed and proficiency between the two neuron types.
Main Results:
- Animals learned to control PT neuron activity faster and more effectively than IT neuron activity.
- PT neuron's inherent characteristics, circuitry, and cortical depth contribute to this advantage.
Conclusions:
- The motor cortex demonstrates greater efficiency in controlling deep pyramidal tract neurons.
- This suggests a specialized role for PT neurons in relaying motor commands outside the telencephalon.
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