The human motor cortex comprises a microcircuit of five interconnected layers with different cell types. In this Review, we use a layer-specific and cell-specific approach to integrate physiological accounts of this motor cortex microcircuit with the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases affecting motor functions. In doing so we can begin to link motor microcircuit pathology to specific disease stages and clinical phenotypes. Based on microcircuit physiology, we can make future predictions of axonal loss and microcircuit dysfunction. With recent advances in high-resolution neuroimaging we can then test these predictions in humans in vivo, providing mechanistic insights into neurodegenerative disease.

人体运动皮层包括一个具有五个相互连接的层的微电路，这些层具有不同的细胞类型。在本综述中，我们使用特定于层和特定于细胞的方法来整合该运动皮层微电路的生理因素与影响运动功能的神经退行性疾病的病理生理学。通过这样做，我们可以开始将运动微电路病理学与特定的疾病阶段和临床表型联系起来。基于微电路生理学，我们可以对轴突损失和微电路功能障碍做出未来的预测。随着高分辨率神经影像学的最新进展，我们可以在人体中测试这些预测，从而提供有关神经退行性疾病的机制性见解。