QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

HOME  |   SEARCH  |   ARCHIVE  |   SUBSCRIBE  |   CONTACT  |   HELP

The Journal of Neuroscience, June 16, 2004, 24(24):5560-5569; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0562-04.2004

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (12) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kargo, W. J. Articles by Nitz, D. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kargo, W. J. Articles by Nitz, D. A.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Behavioral/Systems/Cognitive
Improvements in the Signal-to-Noise Ratio of Motor Cortex Cells Distinguish Early versus Late Phases of Motor Skill Learning

William J. Kargo and Douglas A. Nitz

The Neurosciences Institute, San Diego, California 92121

There are numerous experience-driven changes in cortical circuitry that correlate with improved performance. Improved motor performance on a reach-to-grasp task in rodents is associated with changes in long-term potentiation (LTP), synaptogenesis, and movement representations in primary motor cortex (M1) by training days 3, 7, and 10, respectively. We recorded single-cell activity patterns in M1 during reach-to-grasp training to test how neural-spiking properties change with respect to LTP, synaptogenesis, and motor map changes. We also tested how neural-spiking changes relate directly to improved performance by monitoring muscle activity patterns. We found that signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of M1 spiking were significantly improved with practice but only after 7-12 d. Three sources of noise were assessed: signal-dependent noise exemplified by the slope of the relationship between mean spike count and count variance per burst, signal-independent noise exemplified by the offset of this relationship, and background firing rates before and after bursts. Signal-independent noise and pre-burst firing rates were reduced with practice. Early performance gains (days 1-6) were dissociated from SNR improvements, whereas later performance gains (day 7-12) were related directly to the magnitude of improvement in both muscle recruitment reliability and success rates. With training, an increased number of cells exhibited firing rates that were correlated with muscle recruitment patterns, with lags suggesting a primary direction of influence from M1 to muscles. These results suggest a functional linkage from local synaptogenesis in M1 to improved spiking reliability of M1 cells to more reliable recruitment of muscles and finally to improved behavioral performance.

Key words: motor learning; motor cortex; EMG; variability; plasticity; reliability

---

Received Feb 17, 2004; revised April 12, 2004; accepted May 3, 2004.

Home  |   Search  |   Archive  |   Subscribe  |   Contact  |   Help