Abstract :
Hand function plays an important role in all primate species, and its loss is associated with severe disability. Grasping movements are complex motor acts for which the brain needs to integrate sensory and cognitive signals to generate behaviorally meaningful actions. To achieve this computation, specialized brain areas in the primate parietal (anterior intra-parietal area, AIP), premotor (area F5), and primary motor cortex (M1 hand area) are functionally connected. This presentation highlights recent experimental results in non-human primates to characterize how these distinct cortical brain areas generate grasping movements and how such movements can be decoded with high precision. Besides understanding the underlying network structure and function, such characterizations are highly valuable for the development of neural interfaces to restore hand function in paralyzed patients.
