All events
Is motor-cortical neuronal activity during movement preparation hard-wired or under conscious control? An intracranial study in humans
Lecture
Thursday, July 3, 2025
Hour: 14:00 - 15:00
Location:
Gerhard M.J. Schmidt Lecture Hall
Is motor-cortical neuronal activity during movement preparation hard-wired or under conscious control? An intracranial study in humans
Prof. Uri Maoz
<p> <em>After more than a century and a half of research, much about the functional role of motor cortex remains unknown. In particular, it is not well understood how much the neuronal activity leading up to movement is hard-wired versus under conscious, volitional control. Working with four human participants implanted with intracranial electrodes in motor and somatosensory cortex, our machine-learning classifier found spiking patterns that were highly predictive of upcoming movement in real time (~80% accuracy). We then investigated two research questions. First, to what extent can humans alter their motor-preparatory neuronal activity before a specific movement and still carry out that movement? Second, how similar is the pre-movement neuronal pattern for the same movement under different cognitive contexts?<br><br>Participants played a strategic game, where their objective was to flip as much slime as possible from a slow-filling bucket on a virtual “robot” opponent before it flipped the bucket on them. The robot was controlled by the real-time classifier that indicated the participant’s intention to move. Hence, to win, participants needed to alter their preparatory neuronal activity. However, in multiple sessions over days and weeks, participants lost to the robot on more than 80% of the trials. Moreover, the classifier predicted movement just as well in a different setting, when participants scrolled through visual content in a self-paced manner. Our study thus provides evidence for hard-wired motor-preparatory neuronal activity in motor cortex rather than conscious control.</em></p>
NeuroTheory
Conference
Sunday, May 17, 2026
Hour: 08:00
Location:
The David Lopatie Conference Centre
NeuroTheory
All events
Is motor-cortical neuronal activity during movement preparation hard-wired or under conscious control? An intracranial study in humans
Lecture
Thursday, July 3, 2025
Hour: 14:00 - 15:00
Location:
Gerhard M.J. Schmidt Lecture Hall
Is motor-cortical neuronal activity during movement preparation hard-wired or under conscious control? An intracranial study in humans
Prof. Uri Maoz
<p> <em>After more than a century and a half of research, much about the functional role of motor cortex remains unknown. In particular, it is not well understood how much the neuronal activity leading up to movement is hard-wired versus under conscious, volitional control. Working with four human participants implanted with intracranial electrodes in motor and somatosensory cortex, our machine-learning classifier found spiking patterns that were highly predictive of upcoming movement in real time (~80% accuracy). We then investigated two research questions. First, to what extent can humans alter their motor-preparatory neuronal activity before a specific movement and still carry out that movement? Second, how similar is the pre-movement neuronal pattern for the same movement under different cognitive contexts?<br><br>Participants played a strategic game, where their objective was to flip as much slime as possible from a slow-filling bucket on a virtual “robot” opponent before it flipped the bucket on them. The robot was controlled by the real-time classifier that indicated the participant’s intention to move. Hence, to win, participants needed to alter their preparatory neuronal activity. However, in multiple sessions over days and weeks, participants lost to the robot on more than 80% of the trials. Moreover, the classifier predicted movement just as well in a different setting, when participants scrolled through visual content in a self-paced manner. Our study thus provides evidence for hard-wired motor-preparatory neuronal activity in motor cortex rather than conscious control.</em></p>
All events
There are no upcoming events to display
All events
NeuroTheory
Conference
Sunday, May 17, 2026
Hour: 08:00
Location:
The David Lopatie Conference Centre