Secondary Motor Cortex: Where 'Sensory' Meets 'Motor' in the Rodent Frontal Cortex

Overview

Journal Trends Neurosci

Specialty Neurology

Date 2016 Dec 26

PMID 28012708

Citations 117

Authors

Florent Barthas

Alex C Kwan

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

In rodents, the medial aspect of the secondary motor cortex (M2) is known by other names, including medial agranular cortex (AGm), medial precentral cortex (PrCm), and frontal orienting field (FOF). As a subdivision of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), M2 can be defined by a distinct set of afferent and efferent connections, microstimulation responses, and lesion outcomes. However, the behavioral role of M2 remains mysterious. Here, we focus on evidence from rodent studies, highlighting recent findings of early and context-dependent choice-related activity in M2 during voluntary behavior. Based on the current understanding, we suggest that a major function for M2 is to flexibly map antecedent signals such as sensory cues to motor actions, thereby enabling adaptive choice behavior.

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