Nature Communications (Jun 2017)

Refinement of learned skilled movement representation in motor cortex deep output layer

  • Qian Li,
  • Ho Ko,
  • Zhong-Ming Qian,
  • Leo Y. C. Yan,
  • Danny C. W. Chan,
  • Gordon Arbuthnott,
  • Ya Ke,
  • Wing-Ho Yung

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms15834
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8, no. 1
pp. 1 – 19

Abstract

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Motor learning induces structural and functional reorganization in upper layers of motor cortex. Here the authors show that neuronal ensembles in the output layer 5b exhibit temporal dynamics during skilled learning that progressively becomes well-aligned to movement in a dopamine dependent manner.