Cell-type specific outcome representation in primary motor cortex

Abstract

Adaptive movements are critical to animal survival. To guide future actions, the brain monitors different outcomes, including achievement of movement and appetitive goals. The nature of outcome signals and their neuronal and network realization in motor cortex (M1), which commands the performance of skilled movements, is largely unknown. Using a dexterity task, calcium imaging, optogenetic perturbations, and behavioral manipulations, we studied outcome signals in murine M1. We find two populations of layer 2-3 neurons, "success"and "failure" related neurons that develop with training and report end-result of trials.In these neurons, prolonged responses were recorded after success or failure trials, independent of reward and kinematics. In contrast, the initial state of layer-5 pyramidal tract neurons contains a memory trace of the previous trial's outcome.Inter-trial cortical activity was needed to learn new task requirements. These M1 reflective layer-specific performance outcome signals, can support reinforcement motor learning of skilled behavior.

The sensorimotor strategies and neuronal representations of tactile shape discrimination in mice

“…This could reflect arousal or a long-lasting effect of reward (Lacefield et al, 2019;McGinley et al, 2015;Vinck et al, 2015). Persistent representations of choice and outcome have been observed in prefrontal, parietal, and motor cortex; the thalamus; and indeed throughout the brain (Akrami et al, 2018;Hattori et al, 2019;Lavzin et al, 2020;Nogueira et al, 2017;Tsutsui et al, 2016;Waiblinger et al, 2018).…”