University of California, San Diego

Targeted Motor Cortex Stimulation Shows Learned Movement Can Be Triggered by Tiny Neural Ensembles

A new Nature study reports that activating highly specific ensembles in the motor cortex can reliably trigger learned movements in mice, with just about 20 neurons enough to set the behavior in motion. The findings sharpen scientific understanding of how the brain stores and retrieves motor skills, while also advancing the long-running quest for more precise brain-computer interfaces and neuroprosthetics.