The relationship between monkey ventrolateral thalamic nucleus activity and kinematic parameters of wrist movement

Abstract

Extracellular recordings were made from single neurones in the cerebellar thalamus (75 neurones) and the VPLc (44 neurones) of four conscious moving monkeys. The experiment was designed to establish whether the discharge of ventrolateral thalamic neurones encodes information about kinematic parameters. The animals were trained to resist unexpected perturbations of the wrist and to perform skilled, voluntary wrist movements, producing stereotyped reflex and active movements with a wide range of durations and amplitudes. Statistical analysis of the discharge pattern associated with individual trials of movement was performed. In various maintained wrist positions there was a significant correl..