# Functional and structural organization of motor areas in non-human primates

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · 2022 · $314,758

## Abstract

Coordinated arm/hand movements are central to primate behavior (e.g. feeding, drinking). Dense projections
from primary motor cortex (M1) to spinal cord circuits confer on M1 a critical role in controlling the arm and the
hand. M1 zones that control the arm mostly non-overlapping with M1 zones that control the hand. Coordinated
arm/hand actions must therefore involve coordinated activity between M1 zones, but the underlying mechanisms
are as yet unknown. Our central hypothesis is that neural activity in M1 follows a trajectory that is governed by
the spatial organization of the arm and hand representations in M1 and by the local M1 connections. We propose
to investigate the spatio-temporal organization of M1 activity during reaching and grasping in macaque monkeys.
We also propose to determine the organization of the local connections that support communication within M1.
Our rationale for pursuing this proposal is that revealing the functional organization and connectivity of M1 will
shed light on how information is processed within M1 in the service of arm/hand control. We have refined an
investigative strategy that centers on optical imaging; where signal modulations report on neural activity. Using
optical imaging to investigate cortical control of movement in primates is novel. The central advantage of optical
imaging for this proposal is the capacity for investigating many millimeters of M1 without spatial interruptions,
which is needed for determining how spatial patterns of neural activity evolve across M1 during behavior. In Aim
1, we will determine the spatial and temporal organization of M1 neural activity that support reaching and
grasping. To that end, we will optically image M1 and record neurophysiological signals throughout M1 as an
animal performs a reach-to-grasp task. Target locations and object dimensions will be systematically varied to
motivate a range of reach directions and grip postures. In the same M1 territory, we will map the organization of
the corticospinal projections by stimulating discrete points in M1 and determining which arm/hand muscles were
activated. By co-registering results from imaging, electrophysiology, and motor mapping, we will learn how
spatial patterns of M1 activity evolve across the motor map over the course of arm/hand actions. In Aim 2, we
will determine the organization of the connections that support communication within M1. Optical imaging
presents a critical advantage here because it would open the possibility of determining the organization of cortical
connections for hundreds of sites in M1. In this paradigm, the spatial patterns of cortical activation that results
from electrical stimulation of a site, would reflect the connectivity patterns of that site. Next, we test neural
interactions between connected zones by electrically stimulating one zone and recording neural activity in the
connected zone. By registering the connectivity maps and neural interaction results to the motor map, we ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10434880
- **Project number:** 5R01NS105697-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- **Principal Investigator:** Omar El Gharbawie
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $314,758
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-08-15 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10434880

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10434880, Functional and structural organization of motor areas in non-human primates (5R01NS105697-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10434880. Licensed CC0.

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