Work

Complementary cortical and striatal encoding of locomotor preparation and performance

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Cortical and striatal circuits encode information related to both motor initiation and execution. While neural dynamics in these areas show substantial similarities, possibly reflecting shared information content, studies directly comparing the cortical and striatal encoding of locomotor preparation and performance have been lacking. Here, we contrasted the neural coding properties of mouse primary motor and medial prefrontal cortex, as well as dorsolateral and dorsomedial striatum, prior to and during bouts of self-paced locomotion in an open field. All four areas contained cells active during both the preparatory and performance periods of locomotion. However, the decoding of behaviorally relevant information using population-level activity revealed significant regional variations. Specifically, dorsomedial striatum more accurately encoded the preparatory period prior to walking, while primary motor cortex, followed by dorsolateral striatum, more accurately encoded rhythmic limb kinematics during walking. Together, this work provides evidence for a complementary neural coding scheme for locomotor preparation and performance in cortical and striatal circuits.

Source: iScience

DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2025.114138

Authors: Deepak Singla, Long Yang, Andrew S. Weakley, Dylan Davidoff, Jonathan C. Kao, Sotiris C. Masmanidis

Institutions: University of California, Los Angeles, California NanoSystems Institute

Language: English

Topic: Motor Control and Adaptation

Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,240

Funders: National Science Foundation, American Heart Association, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke