Primary Motor Cortex
Research in this laboratory uses direct neuronal recordings and neuronal stimulation in primates to address the question of how the brain controls movement. One traditional view of primary motor cortex is that it is a simple map of the body’s muscles. Research suggests that primary motor cortex operates at a radically more complex level, coordinating among the joints and muscles to produce specific fragments of the animal’s movement repertoire. The lab is currently addressing three specific questions. First, what is the specific relationship between sites in cortex and muscles? Second, what are the activity patterns of individual neurons in motor cortex, while the animal makes complex movements such as hand-to-mouth movements? Third, can neural network models mimic and help elucidate the coding of complex movements in motor cortex? The lab is currently pursuing other models to approach other aspects of the control of complex movements.
Contact:
Michael Graziano