Classical studies of mammalian movement control define a prominent role for the primary
motor cortex. Investigating the mouse whisker system, we found an additional and equally
direct pathway for cortical motor control driven by the primary somatosensory cortex.
Whereas activity in primary motor cortex directly evokes exploratory whisker protraction,
primary somatosensory cortex directly drives whisker retraction, providing a rapid
negative feedback signal for sensorimotor integration. Motor control by sensory cortex
suggests the need to reevaluate the functional organization of cortical maps.
