Do neurons in the motor cortex encode movement direction? An alternative hypothesis

F. A. Mussa-Ivaldi

doi:10.1016/0304-3940(88)90257-1

Do neurons in the motor cortex encode movement direction? An alternative hypothesis

F. A. Mussa-Ivaldi^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Neuroscience

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

149 Scopus citations

Abstract

Previous investigations by Georgopoulos et al. of cell activities in the primate motor cortex during the execution of voluntary arm movements have shown that these cells are characterized by tuning properties related to the direction of hand trajectories. Here, it is demonstrated that these findings do not necessarily imply that cortical cells encode spatial features of hand movements and an alternative hypothesis is considered according to which cortical cells encode muscle state variables. It is shown that this hypothesis would lead both to the single-cell activities and to the population behaviors observed by Georgopoulos et al.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	106-111
Number of pages	6
Journal	Neuroscience Letters
Volume	91
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3940(88)90257-1
State	Published - Aug 15 1988

Funding

I wish to thank Emilio Bizzi, Simon Giszter and Neville Hogan for discussing the issues presented in this paper. This work was partially supported by National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke Research Grant NS09343.

Keywords

Activation vector
Distribution
Fourier series
Jacobian matrix
Motor cortex
Multi-joint movement
Muscle moment arm
Preferred direction

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Neuroscience

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10.1016/0304-3940(88)90257-1

Cite this

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abstract = "Previous investigations by Georgopoulos et al. of cell activities in the primate motor cortex during the execution of voluntary arm movements have shown that these cells are characterized by tuning properties related to the direction of hand trajectories. Here, it is demonstrated that these findings do not necessarily imply that cortical cells encode spatial features of hand movements and an alternative hypothesis is considered according to which cortical cells encode muscle state variables. It is shown that this hypothesis would lead both to the single-cell activities and to the population behaviors observed by Georgopoulos et al.",

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N2 - Previous investigations by Georgopoulos et al. of cell activities in the primate motor cortex during the execution of voluntary arm movements have shown that these cells are characterized by tuning properties related to the direction of hand trajectories. Here, it is demonstrated that these findings do not necessarily imply that cortical cells encode spatial features of hand movements and an alternative hypothesis is considered according to which cortical cells encode muscle state variables. It is shown that this hypothesis would lead both to the single-cell activities and to the population behaviors observed by Georgopoulos et al.

AB - Previous investigations by Georgopoulos et al. of cell activities in the primate motor cortex during the execution of voluntary arm movements have shown that these cells are characterized by tuning properties related to the direction of hand trajectories. Here, it is demonstrated that these findings do not necessarily imply that cortical cells encode spatial features of hand movements and an alternative hypothesis is considered according to which cortical cells encode muscle state variables. It is shown that this hypothesis would lead both to the single-cell activities and to the population behaviors observed by Georgopoulos et al.

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KW - Distribution

KW - Fourier series

KW - Jacobian matrix

KW - Motor cortex

KW - Multi-joint movement

KW - Muscle moment arm

KW - Preferred direction

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Do neurons in the motor cortex encode movement direction? An alternative hypothesis

Abstract

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Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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