{
  "abstract": "Motor learning transforms variable actions into reliable skilled behavior, but how premotor cortex supports this transformation remains unclear. We longitudinally recorded bilateral local field potentials and single-unit activity from the rat rostral forelimb area while animals acquired a single-pellet retrieval task. Here, we show that improved skill was accompanied by reduced, rather than increased, task-related premotor recruitment. Despite this attenuation, firing remained dominated by suppression around pellet retrieval, and stronger pre-retrieval suppression was associated with greater odds of successful performance. Population neural state analysis further showed that successful actions were most strongly coupled to sustained pre-retrieval engagement early in learning, whereas later success occurred with less population-level engagement. These findings reveal premotor cortical constraint as a population-level process that is progressively refined as motor learning transforms variable actions into reliable skilled behavior.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "South China University of Technology"
  ],
  "article_type": "New results",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 5,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "D. Chen"
    },
    {
      "name": "F. Jia"
    },
    {
      "name": "Q. Huang"
    },
    {
      "name": "Y. Guo"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Y. Li"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/agfw6v3gpz2s6.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.09.24.754238",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.24.754238v1.full",
  "id": "agfw6v3gpz2s6",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.24.754238v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "biorxiv",
      "neuroscience"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2805|Motor Control and Adaptation"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7214919415",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.24.754238v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-24",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/agfw6v3gpz2s6.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:25:29Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.09.24.754238",
      "source": "biorxiv",
      "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.24.754238v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "biorxiv:neuroscience",
      "subfield": "neuroscience"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Motor learning refines premotor cortical constraint during skilled forelimb behavior",
  "title_text": "Motor learning refines premotor cortical constraint during skilled forelimb behavior",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:25:29Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/agfw6v3gpz2s6",
  "venue": "bioRxiv",
  "versions": []
}