Cortico-cortical drive in a coupled premotor-primary motor cortex dynamical system

• Published in: Cell reports (Cambridge) Vol. 41; no. 12; p. 111849
• Main Authors: D’Aleo, Raina, Rouse, Adam G., Schieber, Marc H., Sarma, Sridevi V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 20.12.2022
• Subjects: Animals; dynamical systems model; Hand Strength; motor control; Motor Cortex; Movement; non-human primate; premotor cortex; primary motor cortex; Psychomotor Performance; reach to grasp; non-human primate; dynamical systems model; CP: Neuroscience; reach to grasp; premotor cortex; motor control; primary motor cortex
• ISSN: 2211-1247; 2211-1247
• DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111849

In the conventional view of sensorimotor control, the premotor cortex (PM) plans actions that are executed by the primary motor cortex (M1). This notion arises in part from many experiments that have imposed a preparatory “planning” period, during which PM becomes active without M1. But during many natural movements, PM and M1 are co-activated, making it difficult to distinguish their functional roles. We leverage coupled dynamical systems models (cDSMs) to uncover interactions between PM and M1 during movements performed with no preparatory period. We build cDSMs using neural and behavioral data recorded from two non-human primates as they performed a reach-grasp-manipulate task. PM and M1 interact dynamically throughout these movements. Whereas PM drives the M1 in some situations, in other situations, M1 drives PM activity, contrary to the conventional assumption. Our DSM framework provides additional predictions differentiating the roles of PM and M1 in controlling movement. [Display omitted] •Use a coupled dynamical systems model to uncover interactions between motor cortices•Contrary to convention, primary motor cortex can drive activity in premotor•Movement similarity is more related to similarity of cortical drivers than activity Dynamic interactions both within and between cortical areas that are not experimentally measurable are evaluated using a coupled dynamical systems model (cDSM). D’Aleo et al. have utilized a cDSM to explore the interactive roles of premotor and primary motor cortex across subjects.