Interaction between the higher-order motor areas and the basal ganglia in associating cognition and action

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26290012
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Neurophysiology / General neuroscience
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science
• Principal Investigator: HOSHI Eiji 公益財団法人東京都医学総合研究所, 認知症・高次脳機能研究分野, 研究員 (50407681)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 前頭葉 / 大脳基底核 / 行動決定 / 動作選

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the process of choosing and executing behavior it is suggested that the multiple areas in the frontal cortex and the basal ganglia play a crucial role. However, the underlying neural mechanisms in terms of functions and networks remain elusive. In the analysis of functions, we found a functional gradient within the frontal cortex. We also found that in making decisions the frontal cortex plays a primary role, while the basal ganglia are mainly involved in retrieving a decision made by other areas, such as the frontal cortex. Further, by comparing neurons in a cortical motor area and the thalamic reticular nucleus, a gateway in the cortico-basal ganglia network, and we found that this nucleus plays a role as an activity filter. In the analysis of networks, we found that a cortical area receives diverse inputs from multiple territories of the basal ganglia. Altogether, these results further revered functional and structural mechanisms underlying behavioral control.

Free Research Field

神経科学