TY - JOUR
T1 - Activation of nucleus basalis facilitates cortical control of a brain stem motor program
AU - Berg, Rune W.
AU - Friedman, Beth
AU - Schroeder, Lee F.
AU - Kleinfeld, David
PY - 2005/7/1
Y1 - 2005/7/1
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=21544437422&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1152/jn.01125.2004
DO - 10.1152/jn.01125.2004
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 15728764
AN - SCOPUS:21544437422
SN - 0022-3077
VL - 94
SP - 699
EP - 711
JO - Journal of Neurophysiology
JF - Journal of Neurophysiology
IS - 1
ER -