Tanji J, Shima K
Department of Physiology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
Nature. 1994 Sep 29;371(6496):413-6. doi: 10.1038/371413a0.
To achieve a volitional goal, we need to execute multiple movements in a specific temporal order. After repetitive performance of a particular sequence of movements, we are able to memorize and execute the whole sequence without external guidance. Where and how in the brain do we store information necessary for the orderly performance of multiple movements? We have found a group of cells in the cerebral cortex of monkeys whose activity is exclusively related to a sequence of multiple movements performed in a particular order. Such cellular activity exists in the supplementary motor area, but not in the primary motor cortex. We propose that these cells contribute a signal about the order of forthcoming multiple movements, and are useful for planning and coding of several movements ahead.
为了实现一个意志目标，我们需要按照特定的时间顺序执行多个动作。在重复执行特定的动作序列后，我们能够在没有外部引导的情况下记住并执行整个序列。大脑中何处以及如何存储有序执行多个动作所需的信息呢？我们在猴子的大脑皮层中发现了一组细胞，其活动仅与按特定顺序执行的多个动作序列相关。这种细胞活动存在于辅助运动区，而在初级运动皮层中则不存在。我们认为这些细胞会发出有关即将到来的多个动作顺序的信号，并且有助于提前对多个动作进行规划和编码。
