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A cortico-collicular pathway for motor planning in a memory-dependent perceptual decision task

Author

Listed:
  • Chunyu A. Duan

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Yuxin Pan

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Guofen Ma

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine)

  • Taotao Zhou

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Siyu Zhang

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine)

  • Ning-long Xu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology)

Abstract

Survival in a dynamic environment requires animals to plan future actions based on past sensory evidence, known as motor planning. However, the neuronal circuits underlying this crucial brain function remain elusive. Here, we employ projection-specific imaging and perturbation methods to investigate the direct pathway linking two key nodes in the motor planning network, the secondary motor cortex (M2) and the midbrain superior colliculus (SC), in mice performing a memory-dependent perceptual decision task. We find dynamic coding of choice information in SC-projecting M2 neurons during motor planning and execution, and disruption of this information by inhibiting M2 terminals in SC selectively impaired decision maintenance. Furthermore, we show that while both excitatory and inhibitory SC neurons receive synaptic inputs from M2, these SC subpopulations display differential temporal patterns in choice coding during behavior. Our results reveal the dynamic recruitment of the premotor-collicular pathway as a circuit mechanism for motor planning.

Suggested Citation

  • Chunyu A. Duan & Yuxin Pan & Guofen Ma & Taotao Zhou & Siyu Zhang & Ning-long Xu, 2021. "A cortico-collicular pathway for motor planning in a memory-dependent perceptual decision task," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-16, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-021-22547-9
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22547-9
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    Cited by:

    1. Huee Ru Chong & Yadollah Ranjbar-Slamloo & Malcolm Zheng Hao Ho & Xuan Ouyang & Tsukasa Kamigaki, 2023. "Functional alterations of the prefrontal circuit underlying cognitive aging in mice," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-16, December.

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