Motor system.
Cerebellum and Basal Ganglia.
Autonomic Nervous System.

The premotor cortex in the frontal lobe is thought to be a center for the integration of complex skilled movements. We have found that the premotor cortex is composed of at least six separate and somatotopically organized premotor areas. The goal of my research is to understand the role that each premotor area performs in the generation and control of skilled movements, particularly those of the hand. 

Currently, the laboratory is using a multi-disciplinary approach to examine each premotor area with respect to its:

1. pattern of cortical inputs and outputs;
2. neural circuits with subcortical structures (e.g. the basal ganglia and cerebellum), as identified by transneuronal tracing with neurotropic viruses;
3. somatotopic organization determined by intracortical stimulation;
4. interaction with spino-thalamo-cortical projections that are traditionally thought to be involved in pain; 
5. integration with the autonomic nervous system.

Our most recent data demonstrated that the cortical projections to the adrenal medulla, a major effector of the sympathetic nervous system, originate from three major cortical networks. The largest of these networks is the cortical motor system, including all seven motor areas (M1 and the premotor areas) in the frontal lobe. Additional projections to the adrenal medulla originate from a cognitive network in the cingulate motor areas and an affective network located in anterior cingulate cortex. Thus, sympathetic control is embedded in cortical areas involved in movement, cognition and affect. As a consequence, how we move, think and feel will have a profound influence on sympathetic arousal.