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Fortier-Lebel N, Nakajima T. Exploring the Consistent Roles of Motor Areas Across Voluntary Movement and Locomotion. Neuroscientist 2024:10738584241263758. [PMID: 39041460 DOI: 10.1177/10738584241263758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
Multiple cortical motor areas are critically involved in the voluntary control of discrete movement (e.g., reaching) and gait. Here, we outline experimental findings in nonhuman primates with clinical reports and research in humans that explain characteristic movement control mechanisms in the primary, supplementary, and presupplementary motor areas, as well as in the dorsal premotor area. We then focus on single-neuron activity recorded while monkeys performed motor sequences consisting of multiple discrete movements, and we consider how area-specific control mechanisms may contribute to the performance of complex movements. Following this, we explore the motor areas in cats that we have considered as analogs of those in primates based on similarities in their cortical surface topology, anatomic connections, microstimulation effects, and activity patterns. Emphasizing that discrete movement and gait modification entail similar control mechanisms, we argue that single-neuron activity in each area of the cat during gait modification is compatible with the function ascribed to the activity in the corresponding area in primates, recorded during the performance of discrete movements. The findings that demonstrate the premotor areas' contribution to locomotion, currently unique to the cat model, should offer highly valuable insights into the control mechanisms of locomotion in primates, including humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Fortier-Lebel
- Département de neurosciences, Département de médecine, Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche sur le cerveau et l'apprentissage, Groupe de recherche sur la signalisation neurale et la circuiterie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Toshi Nakajima
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kindai University, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
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Tharawadeepimuk K, Limroongreungrat W, Pilanthananond M, Nanbancha A. Auditory Cue Effects on Gait-Phase-Dependent Electroencephalogram (EEG) Modulations during Overground and Treadmill Walking. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 24:1548. [PMID: 38475084 DOI: 10.3390/s24051548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Walking rehabilitation following injury or disease involves voluntary gait modification, yet the specific brain signals underlying this process remains unclear. This aim of this study was to investigate the impact of an auditory cue on changes in brain activity when walking overground (O) and on a treadmill (T) using an electroencephalogram (EEG) with a 32-electrode montage. Employing a between-group repeated-measures design, 24 participants (age: 25.7 ± 3.8 years) were randomly allocated to either an O (n = 12) or T (n = 12) group to complete two walking conditions (self-selected speed control (sSC) and speed control (SC)). The differences in brain activities during the gait cycle were investigated using statistical non-parametric mapping (SnPM). The addition of an auditory cue did not modify cortical activity in any brain area during the gait cycle when walking overground (all p > 0.05). However, significant differences in EEG activity were observed in the delta frequency band (0.5-4 Hz) within the sSC condition between the O and T groups. These differences occurred at the central frontal (loading phase) and frontocentral (mid stance phase) brain areas (p < 0.05). Our data suggest auditory cueing has little impact on modifying cortical activity during overground walking. This may have practical implications in neuroprosthesis development for walking rehabilitation, sports performance optimization, and overall human quality-of-life improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ampika Nanbancha
- College of Sports Science and Technology, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand
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Viana Di Prisco G, Marlinski V, Beloozerova IN. Activity of cat premotor cortex neurons during visually guided stepping. J Neurophysiol 2023; 130:838-860. [PMID: 37609687 PMCID: PMC10642938 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00114.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Visual control of steps is critical in everyday life. Several motor centers are implicated in visual control of steps on a complex surface, however, participation of a large cortical motor area, the premotor cortex, in visual guidance of steps during overground locomotion has not been examined. Here, we analyzed the activity of neurons in feline premotor cortex areas 6aα and 6aγ as cats walked on the flat surface where visual guidance of steps is not needed and stepped on crosspieces of a horizontally placed ladder or over barriers where visual control of steps is required. The comparison of neuronal firing between vision-dependent and vision-independent stepping revealed components of the activity related to visual guidance of steps. We found that the firing activity of 59% of neurons was modulated with the rhythm of strides on the flat surface, and the activity of 83-86% of the population changed upon transition to locomotion on the ladder or with barriers. The firing rate and the depth of the stride-related activity modulation of 33-44% of neurons changed, and the stride phases where neurons preferred to fire changed for 58-73% of neurons. These results indicate that a substantial proportion of areas 6aα and 6aγ neurons is involved in visual guidance of steps. Compared with the primary motor cortex, the proportion of cells, the firing activity of which changed upon transition from vision-independent to vision-dependent stepping, was lower and the preferred phases of the firing activity changed more often between the tasks.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Visual control of steps is critical for daily living, however, how it is achieved is not well understood. Here, we analyzed how neurons in the premotor cortex respond to the demand for visual control of steps on a complex surface. We conclude that premotor cortex neurons participate in the cortical network supporting visual control of steps by modifying the phase, intensity, and salience of their firing activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Viana Di Prisco
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
- Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital & Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, United States
| | - Vladimir Marlinski
- Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital & Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, United States
| | - Irina N Beloozerova
- Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital & Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, United States
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
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Drew T, Fortier-Lebel N, Nakajima T. Cortical contribution to visuomotor coordination in locomotion and reaching. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 82:102755. [PMID: 37633106 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
One of the hallmarks of mammals is their ability to make precise visually guided limb movements to attain objects. This is best exemplified by the reach and grasp movements of primates, although it is not unique to this mammalian order. Precise, coordinated, visually guided movements are equally as important during locomotion in many mammalian species, especially in predators. In this context, vision is used to guide paw trajectory and placement. In this review we examine the contribution of the fronto-parietal network in the control of such movements. We suggest that this network is responsible for visuomotor coordination across behaviours and species. We further argue for analogies between cytoarchitectonically similar cortical areas in primates and cats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor Drew
- Département de Neurosciences, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche sur le Cerveau et l'Apprentissage (CIRCA), Groupe de recherche sur la signalisation neurale et la circuiterie (SNC), Université de Montréal, Pavillon Paul-G. Desmarais, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, H3C 3J7, Canada.
| | - Nicolas Fortier-Lebel
- Département de Neurosciences, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche sur le Cerveau et l'Apprentissage (CIRCA), Groupe de recherche sur la signalisation neurale et la circuiterie (SNC), Université de Montréal, Pavillon Paul-G. Desmarais, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Toshi Nakajima
- Department of Integrative Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan
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Duguay M, Bonizzato M, Delivet-Mongrain H, Fortier-Lebel N, Martinez M. Uncovering and leveraging the return of voluntary motor programs after paralysis using a bi-cortical neuroprosthesis. Prog Neurobiol 2023; 228:102492. [PMID: 37414352 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2023.102492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Rehabilitative and neuroprosthetic approaches after spinal cord injury (SCI) aim to reestablish voluntary control of movement. Promoting recovery requires a mechanistic understanding of the return of volition over action, but the relationship between re-emerging cortical commands and the return of locomotion is not well established. We introduced a neuroprosthesis delivering targeted bi-cortical stimulation in a clinically relevant contusive SCI model. In healthy and SCI cats, we controlled hindlimb locomotor output by tuning stimulation timing, duration, amplitude, and site. In intact cats, we unveiled a large repertoire of motor programs. After SCI, the evoked hindlimb lifts were highly stereotyped, yet effective in modulating gait and alleviating bilateral foot drag. Results suggest that the neural substrate underpinning motor recovery had traded-off selectivity for efficacy. Longitudinal tests revealed that the return of locomotion after SCI was correlated with recovery of the descending drive, which advocates for rehabilitation interventions directed at the cortical target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maude Duguay
- Département de Neurosciences and Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche sur le cerveau et l'apprentissage (CIRCA), Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada; CIUSSS du Nord-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Marco Bonizzato
- Département de Neurosciences and Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche sur le cerveau et l'apprentissage (CIRCA), Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada; CIUSSS du Nord-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Québec, Canada; Department of Electrical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Hugo Delivet-Mongrain
- Département de Neurosciences and Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche sur le cerveau et l'apprentissage (CIRCA), Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Nicolas Fortier-Lebel
- Département de Neurosciences and Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche sur le cerveau et l'apprentissage (CIRCA), Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Marina Martinez
- Département de Neurosciences and Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche sur le cerveau et l'apprentissage (CIRCA), Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada; CIUSSS du Nord-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Québec, Canada.
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Nakajima T, Fortier-Lebel N, Drew T. A secondary motor area contributing to interlimb coordination during visually guided locomotion in the cat. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:290-315. [PMID: 35259760 PMCID: PMC9837607 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
We investigated the contribution of cytoarchitectonic cortical area 4δc, in the caudal bank of the cruciate sulcus of the cat, to the control of visually guided locomotion. To do so, we recorded the activity of 114 neurons in 4δc while cats walked on a treadmill and stepped over an obstacle that advanced toward them. A total of 84/114 (74%) cells were task-related and 68/84 (81%) of these cells showed significant modulation of their discharge frequency when the contralateral limbs were the first to step over the obstacle. These latter cells included a substantial proportion (27/68 40%) that discharged between the passage of the contralateral forelimb and the contralateral hindlimb over the obstacle, suggesting a contribution of this area to interlimb coordination. We further compared the discharge in area 4δc with the activity patterns of cells in the rostral division of the same cytoarchitectonic area (4δr), which has been suggested to be a separate functional region. Despite some differences in the patterns of activity in the 2 subdivisions, we suggest that activity in each is compatible with a contribution to interlimb coordination and that they should be considered as a single functional area that contributes to both forelimb-forelimb and forelimb-hindlimb coordination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshi Nakajima
- Department of Integrative Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Nicolas Fortier-Lebel
- Département de Neurosciences, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche sur le Cerveau et l'Apprentissage (CIRCA) Groupe de recherche sur la signalisation neurale et la circuiterie (SNC), Université de Montréal, Pavillon Paul-G. Desmarais, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Trevor Drew
- Département de Neurosciences, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche sur le Cerveau et l'Apprentissage (CIRCA) Groupe de recherche sur la signalisation neurale et la circuiterie (SNC), Université de Montréal, Pavillon Paul-G. Desmarais, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
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Del Cerro P, Rodríguez-De-Lope Á, Collazos-Castro JE. The Cortical Motor System in the Domestic Pig: Origin and Termination of the Corticospinal Tract and Cortico-Brainstem Projections. Front Neuroanat 2021; 15:748050. [PMID: 34790101 PMCID: PMC8591036 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2021.748050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The anatomy of the cortical motor system and its relationship to motor repertoire in artiodactyls is for the most part unknown. We studied the origin and termination of the corticospinal tract (CST) and cortico-brainstem projections in domestic pigs. Pyramidal neurons were retrogradely labeled by injecting aminostilbamidine in the spinal segment C1. After identifying the dual origin of the porcine CST in the primary motor cortex (M1) and premotor cortex (PM), the axons descending from those regions to the spinal cord and brainstem were anterogradely labeled by unilateral injections of dextran alexa-594 in M1 and dextran alexa-488 in PM. Numerous corticospinal projections from M1 and PM were detected up to T6 spinal segment and showed a similar pattern of decussation and distribution in the white matter funiculi and the gray matter laminae. They terminated mostly on dendrites of the lateral intermediate laminae and the internal basilar nucleus, and some innervated the ventromedial laminae, but were essentially absent in lateral laminae IX. Corticofugal axons terminated predominantly ipsilaterally in the midbrain and bilaterally in the medulla oblongata. Most corticorubral projections arose from M1, whereas the mesencephalic reticular formation, superior colliculus, lateral reticular nucleus, gigantocellular reticular nucleus, and raphe received abundant axonal contacts from both M1 and PM. Our data suggest that the porcine cortical motor system has some common features with that of primates and humans and may control posture and movement through parallel motor descending pathways. However, less cortical regions project to the spinal cord in pigs, and the CST neither seems to reach the lumbar enlargement nor to have a significant direct innervation of cervical, foreleg motoneurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Del Cerro
- Neural Repair and Biomaterials Laboratory, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, Toledo, Spain.,Ph.D. Program in Neuroscience, Autonoma de Madrid University, Madrid, Spain
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