Instruction-related changes of neuronal activity in area 5 during a simple forearm movement in the monkey

Unit recordings were made in area 5 of monkeys during the performance of a sound-triggered movement of the forearm. Changes in neuronal activity prior to the movement were observed in 188 neurons recorded in both normal and deafferented animals. When the discharge of these cells was analyzed as peristimulus histograms, it was seen that 152 neurons presented a pattern of discharge which was characterized by a brief modification in activity with a relatively constant latency after the auditory cue. Similar changes were observed in normal and deafferented animals but the latency was not the same for the two groups. These neurons may reflect the presence of a sensorimotor interface for the integration of instructions for movement and the subsequent genesis of motor commands.