Which of the following regarding primary motor cortex is false?

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Question restatement: Which of the following regarding primary motor cortex is false?

Option 1: It is a major point of convergence of sensorimotor signals.
- This statement is generally considered true. The primary motor cortex (M1) receives and integrates inputs from multiple areas, including premotor cortex, supplementary motor area, parietal regions, and sensory cortices. While M1 is not the sole convergence hub, it does act as a significant integrative site for sensorimotor information before translating into motor commands.

Option 2: It exhibits somatotopic organisation with cortical magnification.
- This is true. M1 is organized somatotopically, meaning different body parts are represented in distinct cortical regions. There is cortical magnification for regions requiring fine motor control (notably the hands and face), reflecting greater neural representation for these areas.

Option 3: The activity of individual neurons encodes the direction of movement of a muscle.
- This statement is false. Although individual M1 neurons have preferred directions and show directional tuning, they do not simply encode the direction of a single muscle’s movement. Instead, M1 activity tends to reflect the direction of a planned or actual limb movement (population coding), integrating signals across many muscles to produce coherent movement. The idea that a single neuron directly encodes the direction of movement of a specific muscle misrepresents the distributed, population-based coding observed in M1.

Option 4: Lesions typically affect the distal extremities more than the trunk.
- This is true. Lesions of the corticospinal tract or M1 often produce greater motor deficits in distal muscles (hands, fingers, feet) than in proximal or trunk muscles, reflecting the view that distal control relies heavily on corticospinal pathways.

In summary, the only statement that mischaracterizes primary motor cortex function is Option 3, which claims that individual neurons encode the direction of movement of a muscle rather than the more accurate view of population-based limb movement direction and coordination.

Which of the following regarding primary motor cortex is false?

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