A recent study published in Science has unveiled groundbreaking insights into how the brain controls natural actions, challenging traditional concepts about the motor system and providing exciting new possibilities for fields like neurorehabilitation and robotics. The research is the result of an innovative approach involving telemetric devices and the study of spontaneous behaviors in monkeys—breaking away from the limitations of earlier experiments, which primarily focused on stationary animals performing learned tasks.
Historically, neuroscience has examined brain activity during controlled and repetitive actions, such as reaching or grasping, in immobile animals. This method, while useful, did not capture the brain’s activity during more natural, spontaneous behaviors, which are much closer to how animals—humans included—function in real-life contexts. The new study introduces a major technological leap by recording the activity of hundreds of neurons from the motor regions of the brains of monkeys while they were free to engage in a variety of spontaneous actions, such as walking, climbing, and even yawning. This not only provides a more realistic view of the brain in action but also suggests that the classical understanding of how motor regions operate may need to be revised.
Luca Bonini, who led the research project, emphasizes how this study challenges long-held beliefs about how specific brain regions or individual neurons control particular actions. “Our brains are constantly moving,” Bonini explains, pointing out that actions like biting, drinking, or grasping may not be as straightforwardly assigned to single neurons or localized brain areas as once thought. “According to our results, just as the individual keys of a piano can compose many different melodies, the neurons in the motor areas of our brain create complex synergies,” he adds. These complex neuronal networks help the brain coordinate a vast array of spontaneous movements in diverse situations—many of which were previously difficult to study in a lab setting.
This breakthrough hinges on a collaboration with bioengineers from the Sant’Anna School in Pisa, who played a crucial role in decoding the intricate patterns of brain activity recorded during these spontaneous behaviors. Using new telemetric technologies, the research team was able to collect data on how neurons communicate across different regions of the brain in real time, providing a clearer picture of how the brain’s motor systems manage complex actions. According to researcher Alberto Mazzoni, the data obtained during spontaneous behaviors was far richer and more informative than that generated in laboratory settings, offering deeper insights into how the brain governs voluntary actions depending on the context. This capability allows scientists to predict the spontaneous actions of the monkeys based solely on neural signals, which had never been possible before with this level of precision.
The implications of this study extend well beyond its immediate scientific contributions. The findings could significantly influence neurorehabilitation practices, particularly in the treatment of patients with brain injuries or motor disorders. For instance, by understanding how neurons orchestrate complex motor actions naturally, researchers might be able to develop more effective rehabilitation protocols that mimic these brain processes and improve recovery outcomes. Similarly, in robotics, these insights could lead to more advanced artificial intelligence systems that better emulate human-like spontaneous movements, creating more fluid and adaptable robotic limbs or even fully autonomous robots.
The behavioral and neurological similarities between monkeys and humans make this study particularly relevant to human health and the treatment of neurological disorders. As Silvestro Micera, a researcher involved in the study, states, “The results obtained through this interdisciplinary collaboration open up new and important translational perspectives for neurotechnology and neurorehabilitation.” The ability to study natural movements is crucial for creating therapeutic techniques that better align with how the brain truly works. This breakthrough could enhance approaches for treating a variety of conditions that impair motor functions, from stroke to neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).
Moreover, this research highlights the importance of non-human primates in scientific experimentation, especially when studying brain-behavior relationships. The team hopes that their findings will help transition neuroscience toward a new branch known as neuroethology. This emerging discipline focuses on the study of behavior in natural contexts and aims to increase the validity and relevance of experiments by examining how animals—whether they are monkeys, mice, or other species—interact with their environments in more natural settings, rather than relying solely on laboratory-induced actions. By improving the quality of life for these animals during research, the hope is that future experiments will be more accurate and ethical, leading to findings with a stronger foundation in real-world applications.
The collaborative efforts and cutting-edge technologies used in this study are representative of a shift in the field of neuroscience, from a reductionist view of isolated neural activities to a more holistic understanding of how different regions and neural networks work together to produce complex behaviors. These findings, which shed light on how the brain orchestrates natural, spontaneous actions, could lead to new methodologies for studying human motor control and behavior as well.
For example, if this kind of brain activity can be replicated or influenced using neuroprosthetic devices, patients who have lost motor abilities due to neurological damage might one day be able to regain some degree of autonomy. By offering insights into how various parts of the brain cooperate to produce movements that were once believed to be under the direct control of specific regions, this research could lead to new therapies that harness these natural synergies for rehabilitation.
Additionally, the study opens the door to further research into the brain’s underlying processes that guide these spontaneous movements. Researchers now have the ability to capture and analyze the intricate neural activity patterns that govern a variety of spontaneous actions. The next steps in this line of research could involve uncovering how external factors—such as stress, emotional states, or environmental cues—may influence motor control, providing an even more refined understanding of how and why we move the way we do.
Reference: Francesca Lanzarini et al, Neuroethology of natural actions in freely moving monkeys, Science (2025). DOI: 10.1126/science.adq6510