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Updated: May 8, 2026
07:52
In Vivo Wireless Optogenetic Control of Skilled Motor Behavior
Published on: November 22, 2021
Incentive valence differentially engages open- and closed-loop basal ganglia circuits during movement initiation.
Neil M Dundon1,2,3, Elizabeth J Rizor1,2, Joanne E Stasiak1,2
1Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106.
Summary
New research reveals distinct brain circuits for movement initiation based on incentives. An open-loop circuit (OLC) involving the ventral putamen may route affective signals, while a closed-loop circuit (CLC) is also involved.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Motor Control
Background:
- Classical models propose a closed-loop circuit (CLC) for movement control, but it's segregated from affective regions.
- An alternative open-loop circuit (OLC) from the ventral putamen (PUTv) may link affective signals to motor cortex.
- The precise circuitry for incentive modulation of voluntary movement remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the existence and function of a human open-loop circuit (OLC) for movement control.
- To determine if the OLC is differentially engaged by reward and avoidance incentives.
- To elucidate how affective salience and valence modulate voluntary movement via cortico-subcortical circuits.
Main Methods:
- 7 Tesla resting-state fMRI (multi-echo) to assess functional connectivity of the ventral putamen (PUTv).
- 3 Tesla task-based fMRI during an incentivized reaching task with jackpot (reward) and robber (avoidance) conditions.
- Behavioral analysis of movement initiation, speed-accuracy trade-offs, and false starts.
Main Results:
- PUTv exhibited robust functional connectivity with affective and motor regions, supporting an independent OLC pathway.
- Jackpot condition showed a speed-accuracy trade-off with reduced engagement in CLC nodes.
- Robber condition deactivated OLC and CLC nodes, recruiting stopping-related regions like the subthalamic nucleus.
Conclusions:
- The brain utilizes a versatile architecture for movement initiation, flexibly engaging distinct cortico-subcortical circuits based on incentive type.
- Findings support a functional OLC pathway for routing affective signals to motor areas.
- This provides a potential mechanism for how affective factors influence voluntary movement.
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