[Motor memories formed by redundant neural representation]

Brain Nerve. 2014 Apr;66(4):429-37.
[Article in Japanese]

Abstract

Previous studies have tried to elucidate how kinematics of movement is uniquely represented in the brain. Considering the large number of neurons in the brain, however, it is possible that an identical movement is represented by distinct patterns of neural activity in the brain. Here, I first discuss the possible relationship between the neural representation and motor memory. Subsequently, I introduce several experimental examples from my laboratory showing that the redundancy of neural representations of movements might be reflected in the ability of the brain to switch flexibly between distinct motor memories (or internal models) for a physically identical movement depending on different behavioral contexts. I also demonstrate that the ability for forming and retrieving different sets of motor memories plays a functional role in motor control.

Publication types

  • English Abstract
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Functional Laterality / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Models, Neurological
  • Motor Cortex / physiology*
  • Movement / physiology*
  • Neurons / physiology*