Corticospinal neuron subpopulations with opposing dynamics converge to shape spinal interneuron computations
Abstract
Corticospinal neuron (CSN) activation plays a crucial role in orchestrating goal-directed actions, but the functional role of reduced CSN output, a feature conserved across species, remains unknown. By combining population imaging, projection mapping, and modelling in mice performing a Go/NoGo lever push task, we reveal that distinct corticospinal neuron subpopulations with opposing dynamics (i.e. increased or decreased activity) are selectively associated with skilled movement execution. Both activity profiles are observed throughout CSN somatodendritic compartments and are spatially organized, with increased activity concentrated in upper layer 5B and decreased activity localized to deeper subregions. Notably, single neuron projection mapping revealed that opposing CSN signals converge onto shared spinal interneurons, while modelling showed that reduced CSN output drives subtractive modulation of spinal interneuron input-output transformations, avoiding output saturation and enabling flexible scaling of output firing rates. These findings redefine corticospinal function by demonstrating that reduced output in a subpopulation of CSNs is critical for shaping spinal cord computations during skilled movement execution.
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BibTeX
@misc{rivera2026corticospinal,
title = {{Corticospinal neuron subpopulations with opposing dynamics converge to shape spinal interneuron computations}},
author = {Michelle Sánchez Rivera and Yuxiao Li and Anan Li and Constantinos Eleftheriou and Roman Baravalle and Anand S. Kulkarni and Phillip D. Chapman and Andrés F. Cadena and Francisco J. Alvarez and Jay B. Bikoff and Salvador Dura-Bernal and Xiangning Li and Ian Duguid},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.64898/2026.10.21.760744},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.21.760744v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Corticospinal neuron subpopulations with opposing dynamics converge to shape spinal interneuron computations
AU - Michelle Sánchez Rivera
AU - Yuxiao Li
AU - Anan Li
AU - Constantinos Eleftheriou
AU - Roman Baravalle
AU - Anand S. Kulkarni
AU - Phillip D. Chapman
AU - Andrés F. Cadena
AU - Francisco J. Alvarez
AU - Jay B. Bikoff
AU - Salvador Dura-Bernal
AU - Xiangning Li
AU - Ian Duguid
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/21
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.10.21.760744
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.21.760744v1
AB - Corticospinal neuron (CSN) activation plays a crucial role in orchestrating goal-directed actions, but the functional role of reduced CSN output, a feature conserved across species, remains unknown. By combining population imaging, projection mapping, and modelling in mice performing a Go/NoGo lever push task, we reveal that distinct corticospinal neuron subpopulations with opposing dynamics (i.e. increased or decreased activity) are selectively associated with skilled movement execution. Both activity profiles are observed throughout CSN somatodendritic compartments and are spatially organized, with increased activity concentrated in upper layer 5B and decreased activity localized to deeper subregions. Notably, single neuron projection mapping revealed that opposing CSN signals converge onto shared spinal interneurons, while modelling showed that reduced CSN output drives subtractive modulation of spinal interneuron input-output transformations, avoiding output saturation and enabling flexible scaling of output firing rates. These findings redefine corticospinal function by demonstrating that reduced output in a subpopulation of CSNs is critical for shaping spinal cord computations during skilled movement execution.
SN - 2692-8205
ER -