Summary
Several lines of evidence suggest that the supplementary motor area (SMA) and the premotor cortex (PM) may participate in neuronal mechanisms for the initiation of movements. We recorded the impulse activity of single neurons in monkeys that were trained in two behavioral tasks employing, respectively, self-initiated and externally timed movements. Neurons in both areas were activated up to 2.6 s in advance of self-initiated, reward-related arm reaching movements. In the externally timed task, changes occurred during light instructions that preceded movements by 2 s. Neurons also responded to the trigger stimulus for movement. In view of similar premovement activity in the basal ganglia, these cortical regions appear to be parts of a distributed neuronal system for movement initiation.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barrett G, Shibasaki H, Neshige R (1986) Cortical potentials preceding voluntary movement: evidence for three periods of preparation in man. Electroenceph Clin Neurophysiol 63: 327–339
Brinkman C, Porter R (1979) Supplementary motor area in the monkey: activity of neurons during performance of a learned motor task. J Neurophysiol 42: 681–709
Eccles JC (1982) The initiation of voluntary movements by the supplementary motor area. Arch Psychiat Nervenkr 231: 423–441
Godschalk M, Lemon RN, Nijs HGT, Kuypers HGJM (1981) Behaviour of neurons in monkey peri-arcuate and precentral cortex before and during visually guided arm and hand movements. Exp Brain Res 44: 113–116
Hashimoto S, Gemba H, Sasaki K (1979) Analysis of slow cortical potentials preceding self-paced hand movements in the monkey. Exp Neurol 65: 218–229
Hassler RJ (1938) Zur Pathologie der Paralysis agitans und des postenzephalitischen Parkinsonismus. Psych Neurol (Lpz) 48: 387–476
Hikosaka O, Wurtz RH (1983) Visual and oculomotor functions of monkey substantia nigra pars reticulata. III. Memory-contingent visual and saccade responses. J Neurophysiol 49: 1268–1284
Kornhuber HH, Deccke L (1965) Hirnpotentialänderungen bei Willkürbewegungen und passiven Bewegungen des Menschen: Bereitschaftspotential und reafferente Potentiale. Pflüger's Arch 284: 1–17
Künzle H (1978) An autoradiographic analysis of the efferent projections from premotor and adjacent prefrontal regions (areas 6 and 9) in Macaca fascicularis. Brain Behav Evol 15: 185–234
Kurata K, Tanji J (1985) Contrasting neuronal activity in supplementary and precentral motor cortex of monkeys. II. Responses to movement triggering vs. nontriggering sensory signals. J Neurophysiol 53: 142–152
Kurata K, Tanji J (1986) Premotor cortex neurons in macaques: activity before distal and proximal forelimb movements. J Neurosci 6: 403–411
Libet B, Gleason CA, Wright EW, Pearl DK (1983) Time of conscious intention to act in relation to onset of cerebral activities (readiness-potential): the unconscious initiation of a freely voluntary act. Brain 106: 623–642
Poirier LJ (1960) Experimental and histological study of midbrain dyskinesias. J Neurophysiol 23: 534–551
Roland PE, Larsen B, Lassen NA, Skinhoj E (1980) Supplementary motor area and other cortical areas in oganization of voluntary movements in man. J Neurophysiol 43: 118–136
Romo R, Schultz W (1986) Discharge activity of dopamine cells in monkey midbrain: comparison of changes related to triggered and spontaneous movements. Soc Neurosci Abstr 12: 207
Schultz W (1986a) The activity of pars reticulata neurons of the monkey substantia nigra in relation to motor, sensory and complex events. J Neurophysiol 55: 660–677
Schultz W (1986b) Responses of midbrain dopamine neurons to behavioral trigger stimuli in the monkey. J Neurophysiol 56: 1439–1461
Schultz W, Studer A, Jonsson G, Sundström E, Mefford I (1985) Deficits in behavioral initiation and execution processes in monkeys with MPTP-induced parkinsonism. Neurosci Lett 59: 225–232
Schell GR, Strick PL (1984) The origin of thalamic inputs to the arcuate premotor and supplementary motor areas. J Neurosci 4: 539–560
Schlag J, Schlag-Rey M (1985) Unit activity related to spontaneous saccades in frontal dorsomedial cortex of monkey. Exp Brain Res 58: 208–211
Selemon LD, Goldman-Rakic PS (1985) Longitudinal topography and interdigitation of corticostriatal projections in the rhesus monkey. J Neurosci 5: 776–794
Tanji J, Kurata K (1985) Contrasting neuronal activity in supplementary and precentral motor cortex of monkeys. I. Responses to instructions determining motor responses to forthcoming signals of different modalities. J Neurophysiol 53: 129–141
Tanji J, Taniguchi K, Saga T (1980) Supplementary motor area: neuronal response to motor instructions. J Neurophysiol 43: 60–68
Wise SP, Mauritz KH (1985) Set-related neuronal activity in the premotor cortex of rhesus monkeys: effects of changes in motor set. Proc R Soc Lond B 223: 331–354
Wise SP, Weinrich M, Mauritz KH (1983) Motor aspects of cuerelated neuronal activity in premotor cortex of the rhesus monkey. Brain Res 260: 301–305
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Romo, R., Schultz, W. Neuronal activity preceding self-initiated or externally timed arm movements in area 6 of monkey cortex. Exp Brain Res 67, 656–662 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00247297
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00247297