title: The neural basis of intermittent motor control in humans.
abstract: The basic question of whether the human brain controls continuous movements intermittently is still under debate. Here we show that 6- to 9-Hz pulsatile velocity changes of slow finger movements are directly correlated to oscillatory activity in the motor cortex, which is sustained by cerebellar drive through thalamus and premotor cortex. Our findings suggest that coupling of 6- to 9-Hz oscillatory activity in the cerebello-thalamo-cortical loop represents the neural mechanism for the intermittent control of continuous movements.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Heinrich Heine University, D-40225 Duesseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Timmermann
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kujala
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dirks
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salmelin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schnitzler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015225:Magnetoencephalography; D008297:Male; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009991:Oscillometry; D013997:Time Factors