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Cortical representation of grasping movements


Primate hand movements are complex and highly cognitive forms of behavior. Proper planning of these movements requires the integration of sensory information with internal (volitional and memory) signals in order to generate appropriate hand actions. Our research focuses on understanding how primate brain generates hand movements, specifically targeting the higher-order brain regions of the parietal (anterior intraparietal area, AIP) and the premotor cortex (area F5). 

To study cortical processing, we use the advanced technique of Neuropixels probes that are designed to record the activity of hundreds of neurons simultaneously. These probes allow to sample different locations within the areas of the cortical grasping network, providing high spatial resolution and accuracy. This approach allows for highly efficient collection of neuronal data, significantly reducing the number of recording days and, consequently, minimizing the strain on the animals.

 

Grasp execution and observation in social context

Since the discovery of mirror neurons and the identification of social observation networks within the fronto-parietal cortex of macaques (area F5), there has been considerable speculation about the role these networks play in social cognition. Understanding the actions of others is undeniably a critical aspect of social cognition, as it can shape an individual’s behavior and influence social interactions. To investigate the neural underpinnings of action perception, prediction, and execution, we conduct large-scale electrophysiological recordings while macaque monkeys either perform grasping actions or observe the grasping actions performed by others. 

Our recordings capture grasp-related neuronal population activity in parietal and frontal areas in two different settings:

- A well-controlled lab setting in which the monkey grasps objects or observes objects being grasped by others on a video screen.

- The Dyadic Interaction Platform, where two monkeys observe each other’s grasping movements and use the observed information to create their own motor plans.

We explore similarities in the activation of the neural population, during action planning and execution, as well as during action observation. Our findings reveal that neural populations represent self-generated and observed hand actions in different neuronal subspaces (distinct latent variables within the network) although individual neurons may contribute to both processes.