Neural Manifolds for the Control of Movement

The analysis of neural dynamics in several brain cortices has consistently uncovered low-dimensional manifolds that capture a significant fraction of neural variability. These neural manifolds are spanned by specific patterns of correlated neural activity, the “neural modes.” We discuss a model for neural control of movement in which the time-dependent activation of these neural modes is the generator of motor behavior. This manifold-based view of motor cortex may lead to a better understanding of how the brain controls movement. Firing patterns of neurons seen individually are mere Plato-like shadows of underlying brain activity, unlikely to yield real insight. Gallego et al. argue that studies of neural population activity will better illuminate how the brain makes plans and generates movements.