Bilateral processing of motor commands in the motor cortex of the cat during target-reaching.

Full Abstract

Single-unit activity of the motor cortex (area 4gamma) was studied in cats performing reaching with the contra- versus ipsilateral forelimb. Reaching was initiated by a tone burst (Go cue), different limbs were used in separate blocks of trials. During reaching performed with the contralateral limb, three types of neurons were observed. The first type had biphasic pattern with an initial component locked to the Go cue followed by a component locked to the onset of reaching. The second type of neurons had monophasic discharges correlated both with the onset of the stimulus and with the movement. The third type showed responses related to the movement. Activity of the same cells investigated during reaching performed with the ipsilateral limb revealed that the cue-locked responses of the cells of the first type were effector independent, i.e., similar discharges locked to the Go cue were generated. The movement-related component of these cells was drastically reduced. The activity of some cells of the second type was suppressed during reaching with the ipsilateral limb. When performance was switched between limbs, a significant change of background discharge frequency was observed in 31% of the cells. The present results suggest that the sensory cue triggers elaboration of motor commands for reaching in both motor cortices, but further sensorimotor transformation is completed in only one hemisphere but is aborted actively in the other. It is also suggested that a certain pattern of background activity may serve a tuning function for elaboration of the command in the proper hemisphere.

Author information

Author/s: Perfiliev, S (S);

Affiliation: Department of Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University, P.O. Box 432, SE 40530 Göteborg, Sweden. Sergei.Perfiliev(-atsign-)physiol.gu.se

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Journal of neurophysiology (J Neurophysiol), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2005-May; vol 93 (issue 5) : pp 2489-506

Dates: Created 2005/04/22; Completed 2005/06/13; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 15601740, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

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