The motor cortex uses active suppression to sculpt movement.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 32937371.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/sciadv.abb8395 and PMC identifier 7442473.
- Licence recorded as CC BY-NC.
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Abstract
Even the simplest movements are generated by a remarkably complex pattern of muscle activity. Fast, accurate movements at a single joint are produced by a stereotyped pattern that includes a decrease in any preexisting activity in antagonist muscles. This premovement suppression is necessary to prevent the antagonist muscle from opposing movement generated by the agonist muscle. Here, we provide evidence that the primary motor cortex (M1) sends a command signal that generates this premovement suppression. Thus, output neurons in M1 sculpt complex spatiotemporal patterns of motor output not only by actively turning on muscles but also by actively turning them off.