Motor Cortex Feedback Influences Sensory Processing by Modulating Network State

• Published in: Neuron (Cambridge, Mass.) Mass.), 2013-08, Vol.79 (3), p.567-578
• Main Authors: Zagha, Edward, Casale, Amanda E., Sachdev, Robert N.S., McGinley, Matthew J., McCormick, David A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Action Potentials - physiology; Anesthesia; Animals; Behavior; Brain Mapping; Channelrhodopsins; Classification; Electromyography; Feedback; Feedback, Physiological - physiology; Homeodomain Proteins - genetics; Homeodomain Proteins - metabolism; Influence; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Transgenic; Motor Cortex - metabolism; Motor Cortex - physiology; Nerve Net - physiology; Nonlinear Dynamics; Optogenetics; Sensation - physiology; Sensory perception; Somatosensory Cortex - physiology; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism; Vibrissae - physiology
• ISSN: 0896-6273; 1097-4199
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2013.06.008

Long-range corticocortical communication may have important roles in context-dependent sensory processing, yet we know very little about how these pathways influence their target regions. We studied the influence of primary motor cortex activity on primary somatosensory cortex in the mouse whisker system. We show that primary motor and somatosensory cortices undergo coherent, context-dependent changes in network state. Moreover, we show that motor cortex activity can drive changes in somatosensory cortex network state. A series of experiments demonstrate the involvement of the direct corticocortical feedback pathway, providing temporally precise and spatially targeted modulation of network dynamics. Cortically mediated changes in network state significantly impact sensory coding, with activated states increasing the reliability of responses to complex stimuli. By influencing network state, corticocortical communication from motor cortex may ensure that during active exploration the relevant sensory region is primed for enhanced sensory discrimination. •M1 and S1 display synchronous, context-dependent network dynamics•M1 activity modulates S1 network states•Network state changes are mediated by corticocortical feedback signaling•M1-mediated S1 activation enhances representation of complex stimuli In mammalian neocortex, motor and sensory regions are highly interconnected, which may provide context to sensory processing. In this study, Zagha et al. demonstrate that motor-sensory pathways modulate sensory cortex network state, which in turn impacts internal representations of sensory stimuli.