Cortex-wide voltage imaging in a sensory cued reaching task reveals fast subnetwork dynamics

Abstract

Oscillatory activities and network dynamics are fundamental to sensorimotor processing, motor control, and cognitive functions. Capturing the fast cortical dynamics underlying sensorimotor behaviors demands temporal resolution beyond conventional imaging methods. We employed pan-cortical JEDI-1P voltage imaging of layer 2/3 activity in a skilled reaching task to reveal previously inaccessible rapid networks dynamics. Our approach uncovered distinct spectral signatures including reward-related gamma oscillations in M2, global low-frequency suppression during movement execution, and 8 Hz large-amplitude oscillations in sensorimotor cortex during task disengagement. Using independent component analysis, we were able to separate multiplexed functional networks with fast temporal features shared among sensorimotor regions and slower dynamics such as a global preparatory ramp. These distributed activity patterns successfully predicted both sensorimotor parameters and trial outcomes. Our study bridges critical gaps in understanding rapid temporal organization of cortical networks during complex behaviors, revealing how fast neural dynamics coordinate to produce motor actions across distributed cortical regions.