Preconfigured cortico-thalamic neural dynamics constrain movement-associated thalamic activity

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 10185 - 18
• Main Authors: González-Pereyra, Perla, Sánchez-Lobato, Oswaldo, Martínez-Montalvo, Mario G., Ortega-Romero, Diana I., Pérez-Díaz, Claudia I., Merchant, Hugo, Tellez, Luis A., Rueda-Orozco, Pavel E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 24-11-2024; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 14/34; 631/378/2632; 631/378/3920; 64/110; 64/60; 9/30; 9/97; Activity patterns; Cortex (motor); Humanities and Social Sciences; Information processing; multidisciplinary; Neurons; Population levels; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sensory integration; Sensory neurons; Somatosensory cortex; Stimulation; Subpopulations; Temporal lobe; Thalamus
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-54742-9

Neural preconfigured activity patterns (nPAPs), conceptualized as organized activity parcellated into groups of neurons, have been proposed as building blocks for cognitive and sensory processing. However, their existence and function in motor networks have been scarcely studied. Here, we explore the possibility that nPAPs are present in the motor thalamus (VL/VM) and their potential contribution to motor-related activity. To this end, we developed a preparation where VL/VM multiunitary activity could be robustly recorded in mouse behavior evoked by primary motor cortex (M1) optogenetic stimulation and forelimb movements. VL/VM-evoked activity was organized as rigid stereotypical activity patterns at the single and population levels. These activity patterns were unable to dynamically adapt to different temporal architectures of M1 stimulation. Moreover, they were experience-independent, present in virtually all animals, and pairs of neurons with high correlations during M1-stimulation also presented higher correlations during spontaneous activity, confirming their preconfigured nature. Finally, subpopulations expressing specific M1-evoked patterns also displayed specific movement-related patterns. Our data demonstrate that the behaviorally related identity of specific neural subpopulations is tightly linked to nPAPs.
Cortico-thalamic interactions have been implicated in a variety of motor functions, including movement planning, initiation, and moment-to-moment control. Here the authors present evidence suggesting that these interactions rest on the existence of preconfigured neural activity patterns that constrain movement representation and execution.