Scientists unveil the most detailed and precise map of the mouse motor cortex to date
The brain's motor cortex plans, controls and executes voluntary muscle movements. Whether you're playing catch, writing your name or chewing food, it all points back to this region and its connections to other parts of the brain. Yet despite extensive study, scientists still haven't created a detailed map of how the mouse motor cortex is internally organized. Most brain atlases have divided it…
Scientists from the University of Basel, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, and the Allen Institute have unveiled a highly detailed and precise map of the mouse motor cortex. This map divides the motor cortex into 16 distinct subregions, each with its own unique pattern of connections and responsible for different functions.
The findings, published in Cell, could have significant implications for understanding and treating diseases that affect the motor cortex, such as ALS and frontotemporal dementia. The researchers used a combination of 547 experiments, neuron tracing, and examination of brain cell types to confirm their map, which revealed that the primary and secondary motor cortices work together in sending signals to the brainstem and spinal cord, challenging previous assumptions about their hierarchical arrangement.
Brief written by urgent.news from Medical Xpress's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
