Memory cells (motor cortex) explained

Memory cells are found in the primary motor cortex (M1), a region located in the posterior portion of the frontal lobe of the brain. Their behavior is described by Bizzi et al. as:

• In a baseline epoch (no force field on the end effector), they have one preferred direction
• In a force perturbation epoch, they show a change in the preferred direction
• In a subsequent washout epoch (no force field on the end effector), the change in preferred direction persists.

For a quick review see ^[1]

Also ^[2]

1. Motor control: Forcing neurons to changeCurrent Biology, Volume 11, Issue 17, Pages R708-R709A. Jackson, R. Lemon
2. Li C-SR, Padoa-Schioppa C, Bizzi E: Neuronal correlates of motor performance and motor learning in the primary motor cortex of monkeys adapting to an external force field. Neuron 2001, 30:593-607.