Activation of nucleus basalis facilitates cortical control of a brain stem motor program.
We tested the hypothesis that activation of nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM), which provides cholinergic input to cortex, facilitates motor control. Our measures of facilitation were changes in the direction and time-course of vibrissa movements that are elicited by microstimulation of vibrissa motor (M1) cortex. In particular, microstimulation led solely to a transient retraction of the vibrissae in the sessile animal but to a full motion sequence of protraction followed by retraction in the aroused animal. We observed that activation of NBM, as assayed by cortical desynchronization, induced a transition from microstimulation-evoked retraction to full sweep sequences. This dramatic change in the vibrissa response to microstimulation was blocked by systemic delivery of atropine and, in anesthetized animals, an analogous change was blocked by the topical administration of atropine to M1 cortex. We conclude that NBM significantly facilitates the ability of M1 cortex to control movements. Our results bear on the importance of cholinergic activation in schemes for neuroprosthetic control of movement.
Berg
Rune W
RW
Department of Physics 0374, University of California at San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, California 92093, USA.
Friedman
Beth
B
Schroeder
Lee F
LF
Kleinfeld
David
D
D000818:Animals; D001285:Atropine / Q000494:pharmacology; D020532:Basal Nucleus of Meynert / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology*; D003344:Cortical Synchronization / Q000379:methods; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D005260:Female; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D010243:Paralysis / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D013997:Time Factors; D014738:Vibrissae / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000502:physiology
D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists; D001285:Atropine