A functional cortical network for sensorimotor sequence generation

Abstract

The brain generates complex sequences of movements that can be flexibly reconfigured in real-time based on sensory feedback, but how this occurs is not fully understood. We developed a novel 'sequence licking' task in which mice directed their tongue to a target that moved through a series of locations. Mice could rapidly reconfigure the sequence online based on tactile feedback. Closed-loop optogenetics and electrophysiology revealed that tongue/jaw regions of somatosensory (S1TJ) and motor (M1TJ) cortex encoded and controlled tongue kinematics at the level of individual licks. Tongue premotor (anterolateral motor, ALM) cortex encoded intended tongue angle in a smooth manner that spanned individual licks and even whole sequences, and progress toward the reward that marked successful sequence execution. ALM activity regulated sequence initiation, but multiple cortical areas collectively controlled termination of licking. Our results define a functional cortical network for hierarchical control of sensory-and reward-guided orofacial sequence generation.

Attractor dynamics gate cortical information flow during decision-making

“…Anterior lateral motor cortex (ALM) is a critical node in a decision-making circuit that controls directional-licking in response to sensory inputs (8,11,13,14,22,23). To study sensorimotor transformations in this circuit, we developed a delayed-response task, in which mice learned to respond by directional licking to optogenetic stimulation of genetically defined neurons in layer 4 of vibrissal somatosensory cortex (vS1, Fig.…”

A midbrain - thalamus - cortex circuit reorganizes cortical dynamics to initiate planned movement

“…Activities along GD and CDgo change rapidly after the Go cue (latencies, 20.0 (16-24) ms, 30.4 (18-44) ms, respectively; mean (2.5-97.5% confidence interval); Methods; Figure 1G) preceding movement onset (64.3 (56-75) ms; mean (2.5-97.5% confidence interval); blue dashed line in Figure 1G). Because activities along GD and CDgo precede movement (Figure S1J), and because silencing of ALM results in loss of behavioral responses (Komiyama et al, 2010;Gao et al, 2018;Xu et al, 2019), we hypothesized that activity along CDgo is the motor command as it is movement-type selective, whereas activity along GD switches the dynamics by terminating CDdelay and triggering CDgo.…”

“…movement direction or target; eye, tongue, arm or orienting movements) and a Go cue after a delay instructs movement onset: the Go cue releases planned actions. The anterior lateral motor cortex (ALM), a part of MCx, is necessary for motor planning and execution of directional licking in mice (Komiyama et al, 2010;Guo et al, 2014;Gao et al, 2018;Xu et al, 2019). Stimulation of ALM triggers rhythmic licking.…”

Dissociable roles of central striatum and anterior lateral motor area in initiating and sustaining naturalistic behavior

“…(C) Probability of grooming or grooming-related movements in ChR2 mice (N=9) was significantly greater than in EYFP mice (N=6) at the onset of the laser pulse (two-way repeated measures ANOVA, significant time x virus interaction, significant in bins 1-3.5s after laser onset). (D) Reliability of evoking a grooming response was calculated by dividing the number of trials in which an animal started grooming or performing grooming movement fragments during laser-on time by the total number of trials (51). ChR2 mice had significantly greater reliability of an evoked response (47%) relative to EYFP mice (0.13%) (t-test, p=.01).…”

“…Burguiere and colleagues also showed that activating LOFC inputs to CS was sufficient to reduce this grooming behavior, suggesting that LOFC serves as an inhibitor of abnormal behavior generated in CS (Burguiere et al, 2013). However, CS inputs from ALM, a region that has been associated with preparation, sustainment, and sequencing of trained behavior (Guo et al, 2014;Li et al, 2015;Rothwell et al, 2015;Xu et al, 2019), have not yet been examined. We therefore sought to determine whether CS and its inputs from ALM mediate spontaneous naturalistic behavior.…”