Signs of Timing in Motor Cortex During Movement Preparation and Cue Anticipation

Bjørg Elisabeth Kilavik (1) , Joachim Confais (1) , Alexa Riehle (1)

1 INT - Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone

The capacity to accurately anticipate the timing of predictable events is essential for sensorimotor behavior. Motor cortex holds an established role in movement preparation and execution. In this chapter we review the different ways in which motor cortical activity is modulated by event timing in sensorimotor delay tasks. During movement preparation, both single neuron and population responses reflect the temporal constraints of the task. Anticipatory modulations prior to sensory cues are also observed in motor cortex when the cue timing is predictable. We propose that the motor cortical activity during cue anticipation and movement preparation is embedded in a timing network that facilitates sensorimotor processing. In this context, the pre-cue and post-cue activity may reflect a presetting mechanism, complementing processing during movement execution, while prohibiting premature responses in situations requiring delayed motor output.

Mots clés: Motor cortex; timing; delay tasks; movement preparation; cue anticipation

Domaines: Neurobiologie

Bjørg Elisabeth Kilavik, Joachim Confais, Alexa Riehle. Signs of Timing in Motor Cortex During Movement Preparation and Cue Anticipation. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 2014, Neurobiology of Interval Timing, 829, pp.121-142. ⟨10.1007/978-1-4939-1782-2_7⟩. ⟨hal-01464159⟩