Spectral Power in Marmoset Frontal Motor Cortex during Natural Locomotor Behavior

During primate arboreal locomotion, substrate orientation modifies body axis orientation and biomechanical contribution of fore- and hindlimbs. To characterize the role of cortical oscillations in integrating these locomotor demands, we recorded electrocorticographic activity from left dorsal premotor, primary motor, and supplementary motor cortices of three common marmosets moving across a branch-like small-diameter pole, fixed horizontally or vertically. Animals displayed behavioral adjustments to the task, namely, the horizontal condition mainly induced quadrupedal walk with pronated/neutral forelimb postures, whereas the vertical condition induced walk and bound gaits with supinated/neutral postures. Examination of cortical activity suggests that β (16–35 Hz) and γ (75–100 Hz) oscillations could reflect different processes in locomotor adjustments. During task, modulation of γ ERS by substrate orientation (horizontal/vertical) and epoch (preparation/execution) suggests close tuning to movement dynamics and biomechanical demands. β ERD was essentially modulated by gait (walk/bound), which could illustrate contribution to movement sequence and coordination. At rest, modulation of β power by substrate orientation underlines its role in sensorimotor processes for postural maintenance.