Pluta Lab uncovers how the brain keeps track of movement and sensation in real time
05-29-2025
At any given moment, the brain is managing a flurry of incoming information: movements, sensations, memories, and decisions. But how does it keep track of what it’s doing while it’s doing it?
New research led by Dr. Scott Pluta, assistant professor of biological sciences at Purdue University, offers insight into how the brain processes sensory feedback and motor planning simultaneously—work that could ultimately inform new therapies for sensory processing disorders or inspire more responsive robotic systems.
In a series of three recent papers, Pluta and his team explored how the brain integrates self-generated motion with sensory input to interpret what’s happening in the world—and to determine which sensations are caused by one’s own actions.
“This research helps us understand how the brain makes sense of its own movements in the moment,” Pluta said. “It’s about distinguishing what’s happening because of your actions versus what’s happening around you.”
Mapping the brain in motion
One of the team’s central discoveries was that a part of the brain long thought to be dedicated solely to processing external touch is actually involved in predicting and guiding movement. In their study published in Public Library of Science (PLOS), the researchers recorded real-time brain activity as subjects navigated their environment, allowing them to pinpoint when and where sensory and motor signals converged.
The findings showed that certain brain regions typically labeled “sensory” are highly active even before movement occurs, encoding information about where a subject plans to move. That suggests the brain is preparing for how the world will feel as a result of its own motion.
“In essence, this region isn’t just reacting to touch—it’s predicting it,” Pluta said. “That’s a major shift in how we think about sensory processing.”
Keeping track of left and right
Another key paper Nature Neuroscience explored how the brain handles multiple streams of similar information at once, such as comparing input from both sides of the body. The research found that some neurons are highly specialized to combine sensory data from symmetrical parts of the body—like the left and right sides—while others keep those signals separate.
This dual processing capability allows the brain to toggle between integrating and isolating inputs, which is crucial for tasks like detecting obstacles or making fine-tuned movements.
“It’s like having two channels open at once—sometimes you want to merge them, and sometimes you need to keep them apart,” Pluta said.
A fast feedback loop
The third study published in Nature Communications revealed a feedback system in the brain that allows it to rapidly update its internal map of the body’s position. As movement unfolds, signals from the motor regions of the brain are routed back into sensory areas in real time, forming a tight loop of information exchange.
This loop makes it possible for the brain to adjust mid-movement—essentially correcting for errors or surprises as they happen. The researchers found that this feedback reaches sensory processing areas much faster than previously thought, suggesting that perception and action are far more intertwined than traditional models assumed.
“This is a dynamic conversation happening in the brain, not a one-way street,” Pluta said. “Movement informs sensation, and sensation in turn refines movement.”
A value-based coordinate system
Prioritizing certain sensory inputs is essential for adapting behavior to different behavioral contexts. In a fourth study, the Pluta lab revealed where in the brain the transition from a strict physical location mapping to a flexible valued-based mapping occurs. They found that while the sensory cortex faithfully maintains a location-based map, the map in the midbrain superior colliculus is biased towards the stimulus associated with reward. These findings suggest that learning augments sensory processing in the SC to shift our spatial attention towards stimuli with higher priority.
Broad implications
Together, the four papers paint a more nuanced picture of how the brain blends motion and sensation. The insights could have implications beyond neuroscience—such as improving how robots learn to navigate or enhancing brain-computer interfaces for people with movement disorders.
“If we can understand how the brain seamlessly links sensing and doing, we can design systems that are better at adapting to the real world,” Pluta said.
The research also underscores the complexity of even the most basic interactions with the environment. Whether reaching for a glass or walking across a room, the brain is constantly predicting, adjusting, and interpreting the feedback it receives—all within fractions of a second.
“It’s easy to take for granted, but these are incredibly sophisticated computations,” Pluta said. “Our goal is to understand the principles that make them possible.”
Pluta’s lab at Purdue continues to study how different regions of the brain communicate during movement and perception, using advanced imaging and analysis techniques to trace neural activity in detail. His work is supported in part by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and reflects Purdue’s commitment to advancing fundamental neuroscience.
About the Department of Biological Sciences at Purdue University
The Department of Biological Sciences is the largest life sciences department at Purdue University. As part of Purdue One Health, we are dedicated to pioneering scientific discoveries and transformative education at the cutting edge of innovation. From molecules to cells, from tissues to organisms, from populations to ecosystems - we bring together multiple perspectives, integrating across biological scales to advance our understanding of life and tackle the world’s most pressing challenges. Learn more at bio.purdue.edu/.
Writer: Alisha Willett, amwillet@purdue.edu
Source: Scott Pluta, spluta@purdue.edu