Rotational dynamics in motor cortex are consistent with a feedback controller

eLife

Timothy P Lillicrap¹  Kevin P Cross²  Mohsen Omrani²  Stephen H Scott²  Philip N Sabes³  Egidio Falotico⁴  Hari Teja Kalidindi⁴ 

[1] Centre for Computation, Mathematics and Physics, University College London, London, United Kingdom;Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Canada;Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States;The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy;

关键词: population dynamics;    motor cortex;    fronto-parietal circuits;    feedback control;    recurrent neural networks;    Rhesus macaque;   

DOI  :  10.7554/eLife.67256

来源: eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd

【 摘 要 】

Recent studies have identified rotational dynamics in motor cortex (MC), which many assume arise from intrinsic connections in MC. However, behavioral and neurophysiological studies suggest that MC behaves like a feedback controller where continuous sensory feedback and interactions with other brain areas contribute substantially to MC processing. We investigated these apparently conflicting theories by building recurrent neural networks that controlled a model arm and received sensory feedback from the limb. Networks were trained to counteract perturbations to the limb and to reach toward spatial targets. Network activities and sensory feedback signals to the network exhibited rotational structure even when the recurrent connections were removed. Furthermore, neural recordings in monkeys performing similar tasks also exhibited rotational structure not only in MC but also in somatosensory cortex. Our results argue that rotational structure may also reflect dynamics throughout the voluntary motor system involved in online control of motor actions.

【 授权许可】

CC BY