Space as a Coding Dimension in M1: Somatotopy

(M1)

Motor homunculus
based on surface stimulation
Penfield & Rasmussen (1950)
Electrical Stimulation in Human

Penfield & Boldrey (1937)

Movement Initiation

How come movement doesn’t occur

during motor preparation or action observation?
 Motor cortex modulates during action observation

Adapted from Tkach et al. (2007)

Dennis Tkach
Beta Oscillation Attenuation (Desynchronization)
Signals Upcoming Movement Initiation

Instruction Go cue Movement

cue onset
Beta Oscillation Attenuation (Desynchronization)
Signals Upcoming Movement Initiation

Instructed-Delay Period Movement Period

45 45

40 40

35 35

30 30
Frequency (Hz)

Frequency (Hz)
25 25

20 20

15 15

10 10

5 5

-200 0 200 400 600 800 -200 0 200 400 600 800
Time: Instruction (ms) Time: Movement (ms)
 Beta Attenuation Timing Is Not Constant across
the Cortical Surface

Best et al., Cer. Cortex, 2016 Matt Best

 Beta Attenuation Map

The arrow corresponds to the

Beta Attenuation Orientation (BAO)

Best et al. (2016) Cerebral Cortex

 Single-trial BAOs using auto-encoder network

Karthikeyan Balasubramanian
Distributions of BAOs
Can we provide causal evidence that this propagating pattern
of excitability is a necessary component for movement initiation?
Patterned Electrical Stimulation

BAO axis

Rostral Caudal

Monkey Ls
Incongruent patterned stimulation slows reaction time
Bimodal beta propagating patterns associated with movement
initiation of different end-effectors & behaviors
Bimodal beta propagating patterns associated with movement
initiation of different end-effectors
Propagating beta patterns are condition invariant
Movement Execution

Are there spatio-temporal patterns associated with

movement execution?

High Gamma (200-400 Hz) Power as a Proxy for Multi-Unit Activity

 From trial average to single trial
activities

Reach directions Trial averages Single trials

High-
gamma
envelope
amplitude
after low-
pass 5Hz
(a.u.)

Time w.r.t. movement onset (ms)

 Processing steps

Time w.r.t. movement onset (ms)

 Single-trial propagation directions were
different for different movement directions

Amplification
Amplification
time (ms)
time (ms)

2
4
6

2
4
6
Propagating patterns of high gamma power
associated with movement execution
 Propagating directions vary by movement directions
Monkey Bx

error bar: 68.3% confidence interval

 Propagating directions vary by movement directions
Monkey Bx

Mean trajectories Mean angles of velocity

error shade: 68.3% confidence
interval

Angle of velocity (deg)

Time w.r.t. movement onset (ms)
 High gamma propagating parameters can predict
velocities

Monkey Bx

propagation parameters vs shuffle breakdown of propagation parameters

Propagation direction

Planar fit r-squared

Propagation speed