A thalamocortical pathway controlling impulsive behavior

Trends Neurosci. 2023 Sep 29:S0166-2236(23)00219-9. doi: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.09.001. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTPlanning and anticipating motor actions enables movements to be quickly and accurately executed. However, if anticipation is not properly controlled, it can lead to premature impulsive actions. Impulsive behavior is defined as actions that are poorly conceived and are often risky and inappropriate. Historically, impulsive behavior was thought to be primarily controlled by the frontal cortex and basal ganglia. More recently, two additional brain regions, the ventromedial (VM) thalamus and the anterior lateral motor cortex (ALM), have been shown to have an important role in mice. Here, we explore this newly discovered role of the thalamocortical pathway and suggest cellular mechanisms that may be involved in driving the cortical activity that contributes to impulsive behavior.PMID:37778915 | DOI:10.1016/j.tins.2023.09.001
Source: Trends in Neurosciences - Category: Neuroscience Authors: Source Type: research