Brain-wide basis of motor control

In mammals, multiple brain regions —cortex, the basal ganglia, brainstem, and cerebellum— and the spinal cord coordinate their activity to enable the generation of skilled behaviour. Lesion studies, reversible manipulations and neural recordings suggest unique contributions of these different regions, with some ability for behavioural compensation following insults supporting partial redundancy. We are combining computational models, large scale neural recordings, causal manipulations and behavioural experiments —primarily in mice— to further our understanding of the neural basis of both innate and learned skilful behaviour. With collaborators, we are expanding this work to understand how specific neurological conditions lead to their characteristic symptoms by disrupting the intricate brain-wide system underpinning the generation of movement.

 

Neural basis for motor adaptation and motor learning

When faced with a new situation, animals including humans can learn new skills from scratch, typically following days of practice —think of learning how to play guitar. Similarly, they can also take a known skill and adapt it to new conditions —think of a guitar virtuoso taking up the bass—, during a much faster timescale. These two processes, typically referred to as motor learning and motor adaptation, also involve multiple brain regions whose interactions evolve over time. Building on recent theoretical work by several groups including ours, we are using multi-region recordings and neural and behavioural manipulations in behaving mice to explore how control policies are learned and adapted to achieve this fascinating behavioural flexibility.

 

Closed-loop control of neural dynamics

Behaviour ultimately arises from the collective dynamics of neural populations across the brain. As part of a large collaboration with academic and industrial partners in the UK, we are developing computational approaches to control the components of these dynamics that underpin specific behavioural variables using electrical stimulation. Ultimately, we are interested in bringing this translational research in nonhuman primates as treatments for patients with neurological conditions such as epilepsy or paralysis.

 

                       

 

 Available resources:

• Animal facilities (currently working on mice, plans to expand ot model of disease)

• Neurotechnology warehouse: https://www.fchampalimaud.org/centre-restorative-neurotechnology/neurotechnology-warehouse

• Digital neurotherapeutics centre: https://fchampalimaud.org/centre-restorative-neurotechnology/digital-neurotherapeutics-centre

 

Funding:

• ARIA (close loop control of cortical dynamics)

• ERC STG (soon COG) (basic research in motor control)

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