Extending the Cortical Grasping Network: Pre-supplementary Motor Neuron Activity During Vision and Grasping of Objects

Abstract

Grasping relies on a network of parieto-frontal areas lying on the dorsolateral and dorsomedial parts of the hemispheres. However, the initiation and sequencing of voluntary actions also requires the contribution of mesial premotor regions, particularly the pre-supplementary motor area F6. We recorded 233 F6 neurons from 2 monkeys with chronic linear multishank neural probes during reaching–grasping visuomotor tasks. We showed that F6 neurons play a role in the control of forelimb movements and some of them (26%) exhibit visual and/or motor specificity for the target object. Interestingly, area F6 neurons form 2 functionally distinct populations, showing either visually-triggered or movement-related bursts of activity, in contrast to the sustained visual-to-motor activity displayed by ventral premotor area F5 neurons recorded in the same animals and with the same task during previous studies. These findings suggest that F6 plays a role in object grasping and extend existing models of the cortical grasping network.

The engaging nature of interactive gestures

“…By analogy with object affordance, these resources might include the anterior pre-supplementary motor cortex (pre-SMA) that typically codes a yet unspecified readiness for action associated with the perception of affordable targets [49]. These properties of pre-SMA have been widely described by studies in non-human primates [50,51] and seem to also play an important role in social learning [52,53]. More broadly, the results of our experiments clearly indicate that Interactive gestures are processed via a different route as compared to equally salient and socially relevant gestures that do not have an affordance for motor interaction.…”

Corticocortical Systems Underlying High-Order Motor Control

“…The LGS is regarded as a privileged network to encodes purposeful hand actions (for dedicated reviews, see Borra et al, 2017;Borra and Luppino, 2018). Recent studies suggest that it can be recruited by inputs from area F6 (Lanzilotto et al, 2016). Embedded in this network is the mirror system, which uses area PFG as an intermediate node for information transfer from superior temporal areas to F5 (Rizzolatti et al, 2014).…”

Comparative Performance of Linear Multielectrode Probes and Single-Tip Electrodes for Intracortical Microstimulation and Single-Neuron Recording in Macaque Monkey

“…After acute single-cell recording experiments with different types of linear multielectrode probes were conducted (Bonini et al, 2014a , b , c ; Maranesi et al, 2014 , 2015 ), tridimensional (3D) silicon probes were chronically implanted in the mesial pre-supplementary motor area F6 in order to perform single-neuron recordings and, at the end of the recordings, ICMS studies (Lanzilotto et al, 2016 ). Following this latter experiment, the chronically recorded activity was checked again the day after each stimulation session as well as up to 198 days after ICMS in a subset of the implanted probes (see Results section).…”

“…Probes were implanted with a vertical approach, approximately 1 mm laterally to the mesial wall. Previous reports provide more details on the methodology of probe fabrication (Herwik et al, 2011 ), assembly (Barz et al, 2014 ), and implantation (Bonini et al, 2014a ; Lanzilotto et al, 2016 ).…”

“…However, in recent years, several new types of linear multielectrode probes have been developed. They have allowed researchers to record neuronal activity at different depths along the same cortical site simultaneously and with high spatial precision, to perform advanced functional studies of cortical laminae (Pettersen et al, 2006 ; Hansen et al, 2012 ; Glabska et al, 2016 ), and to artificially manipulate neural activity with ICMS (Lanzilotto et al, 2016 ). Nevertheless, the bulk of the evidence regarding the impact of ICMS on neural tissue derives from studies in which tip-electrodes were used.…”