# Cortico-cerebellar interactions underlying motor planning and movement

> **NIH NIH R01** · BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · 2022 · $350,000

## Abstract

Abstract
A central goal in neuroscience is to understand how neural circuits give rise to behavior. Persistent and ramping
preparatory activity in frontal cortex anticipates specific future movements. Preparatory activity is the neural
correlate of motor planning that gives rise to volitional movements. Preparatory activity has been postulated to
emerge from processes distributed across multiple brain regions, but it is unclear how this activity is mediated
by multi-regional interactions and which brain areas are involved. In previous work, we have determined a
discrete part of the mouse frontal cortex (anterior lateral motor cortex, ALM) is a hub for motor planning. A large
fraction of ALM neurons display preparatory activity selective for specific future movements. Our recent data
show that preparatory activity in ALM is dependent on the cerebellum. Neurons in both ALM and cerebellum
respond robustly during motor planning and causally contribute to the behavior. Anatomical tracings reveal loop-
like reciprocal connectivity between these two brain regions. This proposal aims to elucidate how movements
are prepared by the cortico-cerebellar multi-regional circuits. Our central hypothesis is that the cerebellum
mediates movement-selective cortical preparatory activity by controlling persistent activity in thalamocortical
loops through feedback control computations that are analogous to motor control. To probe the specific roles of
cortico-cerebellar interactions in motor planning, we will record preparatory activity while manipulating neural
signals at various stages of the cortico-cerebellar loop. In aim 1, we will identify the cerebellar nodes of the
cortico-cerebellar loop mediating motor planning by mapping preparatory activity in the cerebellar cortex and
nuclei. We hypothesize that the fastigial nucleus and its input Purkinje cells are selectively engaged in planning
directional licking (together with ALM). In aim 2, we will clarify neural signals propagating within the entire cortico-
cerebellar loop by recording and manipulating activity in the relay brain regions, the pontine nucleus and the
thalamus, as well as the inferior olive. In aim 3, we will disambiguate the specific functions of circuit nodes within
the cortico-cerebellar loop by silencing activity in various stages of the cerebellar loop and determine their
impacts on preparatory activity. The outcome will clarify circuit mechanisms of preparatory activity, which is an
form of persistent neural activity underlying many core cognitive functions.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10445262
- **Project number:** 5R01NS112312-04
- **Recipient organization:** BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Nuo Li
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $350,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-01 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10445262

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10445262, Cortico-cerebellar interactions underlying motor planning and movement (5R01NS112312-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10445262. Licensed CC0.

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