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Cortico-subcortical β burst dynamics underlying movement cancellation in humans
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Cortico-subcortical β burst dynamics underlying movement cancellation in humans

Darcy A Diesburg, Jeremy DW Greenlee and Jan R Wessel
eLife, Vol.10, e70270
12/07/2021
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.70270
PMCID: PMC8691838
PMID: 34874267
url
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.70270View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Dominant neuroanatomical models hold that humans regulate their movements via loop-like cortico-subcortical networks, which include the subthalamic nucleus (STN), motor thalamus, and sensorimotor cortex (SMC). Inhibitory commands across these networks are purportedly sent via transient, burst-like signals in the β frequency (15-29Hz). However, since human depth-recording studies are typically limited to one recording site, direct evidence for this proposition is hitherto lacking. Here, we present simultaneous multi-site recordings from SMC and either STN or motor thalamus in humans performing the stop-signal task. In line with their purported function as inhibitory signals, subcortical β-bursts were increased on successful stop-trials. STN bursts in particular were followed within 50ms by increased β-bursting over SMC. Moreover, between-site comparisons (including in a patient with simultaneous recordings from SMC, thalamus, and STN) confirmed that β-bursts in STN temporally precede thalamic β-bursts. This highly unique set of recordings provides empirical evidence for the role of β-bursts in conveying inhibitory commands along long-proposed cortico-subcortical networks underlying movement regulation in humans.

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