Extended Data Fig. 2: Comparison of the direction of neural trajectories for post-laser reaches with the direction of control trajectories, and with the direction to the initial cortical state on control trials.
From: Cortical pattern generation during dexterous movement is input-driven
a, Explanation of the analysis method. We represent the population trajectory on control trials, rc(t), and laser trials, rl(t), using the first six principal component scores, which account for 98%, 99% and 97% of the variance on control trials for VGAT, Tlx3 and Sim1, respectively. For each time point along the peri-lift neural trajectory rl(t) for post-laser reaches, we obtain the direction of the neural trajectory by computing the derivative and dividing by the norm of the derivative (blue). We perform the same calculation for the control trajectory rc(t) (yellow), and also compute the direction from the neural state in the laser trajectory to the initial control state (red). We then compare the direction of the laser trajectory with the control direction and the direction to the initial control state by taking the inner product with each. b, Left, neural population trajectories (first two principal components) for control (yellow) and post-laser (blue) reaches in VGAT-ChR2-eYFP mice (n = 4 mice, n = 6 sessions). The direction of the trajectories for control (yellow arrows) and laser (blue arrows) trajectories along the first two principal components are shown, along with the direction from the laser trajectory to the control initial state (red arrows). Right, similarity (inner product) between the direction of the laser trajectory and the direction of the control trajectory (yellow curve), and similarity between the direction of the laser trajectory and the control initial state (red curve). c, As in b, but for Tlx3-Cre x Ai32 mice (n = 3 mice, n = 7 sessions). d, As in b, but for Sim1-Cre x Ai32 mice (n = 2 mice, n = 4 sessions).
