Distinct dynamics of neuronal activity during concurrent motor planning and execution

David Eriksson (), Mona Heiland, Artur Schneider and Ilka Diester ()
Additional contact information
David Eriksson: University of Freiburg, Faculty of Biology
Mona Heiland: University of Freiburg, Faculty of Biology
Artur Schneider: University of Freiburg, Faculty of Biology
Ilka Diester: University of Freiburg, Faculty of Biology

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-18

Abstract: Abstract The smooth conduct of movements requires simultaneous motor planning and execution according to internal goals. So far it remains unknown how such movement plans are modified without interfering with ongoing movements. Previous studies have isolated planning and execution-related neuronal activity by separating behavioral planning and movement periods in time by sensory cues. Here, we separate continuous self-paced motor planning from motor execution statistically, by experimentally minimizing the repetitiveness of the movements. This approach shows that, in the rat sensorimotor cortex, neuronal motor planning processes evolve with slower dynamics than movement-related responses. Fast-evolving neuronal activity precees skilled forelimb movements and is nested within slower dynamics. We capture this effect via high-pass filtering and confirm the results with optogenetic stimulations. The various dynamics combined with adaptation-based high-pass filtering provide a simple principle for separating concurrent motor planning and execution.

Date: 2021
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-25558-8 Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-021-25558-8

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25558-8

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie

More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().