A cortico-subcortical loop for motor control via the pontine reticular formation.

ABSTRACT: Movement and locomotion are controlled by large neuronal circuits like the cortex-basal ganglia (BG)-thalamus loop. Besides the inhibitory thalamic output, the BG directly control movement via specialized connections with the brainstem. Whether other parallel loops with similar logic exist is presently unclear. Here, we demonstrate that the secondary motor and cingulate cortices (M2/Cg) target and strongly control the activity of glycine transporter 2-positive (GlyT2+) cells in the pontine reticular formation (PRF). In turn, PRF/GlyT2+ cells project to and powerfully inhibit the intralaminar/parafascicular nuclei of the thalamus (IL/Pf). M2/Cg cells co-innervate PRF/GlyT2+ cells and the IL/Pf. Thalamus-projecting PRF/GlyT2+ cells target ipsilateral subcortical regions distinct from BG targ

SUBMITTER: Bosz E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11860761 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature