Brain information dynamics

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Brain information dynamics underlying multi-area interconnectivity and parallel processing
• Project/Area Number: 17H06309
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Complex systems
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: MATSUZAKI Masanori 東京大学, 大学院医学系研究科(医学部), 教授 (50353438)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-06-30 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: ２光子イメージング / 運動野 / 大脳基底核 / 小脳 / マウス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We used two-photon calcium imaging to measure the activity of thalamocortical axons projecting to layers 1 and 3 in the mouse primary motor cortex (M1). Two types of signals transmitted from the thalamus to M1 became stronger and showed different temporal changes (dynamics) from each other while the mice learned a forelimb lever-pull task. The cerebellum-originated signal was transmitted to layer 3 and was associated with "success rate in the motor task". The basal ganglia-originated signal was transmitted to layer 1 and was associated with "motor kinetics and stability,". We also clarified the pattern of transmission of contextual information from the higher motor cortex to M1 during this task.

Free Research Field

神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、脳全体の理解に不可欠な脳領域間ネットワークの視点から運動学習や運動制御のメカニズムの一端を明らかにしたという点で非常に重要であり、パーキンソン病やジストニアなどの運動失調・運動障害疾患の病態理解に将来的に貢献することが期待される。