Brain-wide neural activity underlying memory-guided movement. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38306983/)

These scientists wanted to understand how our brain controls our behavior. They knew that different parts of the brain work together to make us move and make decisions, but most experiments only look at one part of the brain at a time. So, these scientists used special tools called Neuropixels probes to record activity from many different parts of the brain at once.

They focused on a specific part of the brain called the anterior lateral motor cortex (ALM), which helps us remember how to move our tongue in a certain direction. They found that the brain cells that encode information about what we see, the choices we make, and the actions we take are spread out across different parts of the brain.

But, they discovered that the ALM and some other areas connected to it were especially important for making decisions. These areas were responsible for encoding the choices we make. They also found that the hindbrain, midbrain, and to a lesser extent, the forebrain were responsible for controlling the movements of our mouth and face.

The scientists also noticed that the brain activity related to our choices was first seen in the ALM and midbrain, then it spread to other parts of the brain like the thalamus. When we actually start moving, the brain activity related to our choices changes, and new patterns of activity appear that control the specific actions we take.

These experiments are really important because they help scientists build models of how our brain makes decisions and initiates movements. By understanding these processes better, scientists can learn more about how our brain works and how we behave.

Chen S., Liu Y., Wang ZA., Colonell J., Liu LD., Hou H., Tien NW., Wang T., Harris T., Druckmann S., Li N., Svoboda K. Brain-wide neural activity underlying memory-guided movement. Cell. 2024 Feb 1;187(3):676-691.e16. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.12.035.