Researchers focus on specific neurons that make reaching-and-grasping tasks possible Research conducted at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST), has looked at the importance of specific neurons for seemingly simple, day-to-day tasks that involve reaching for and grasping objects. The study was published in Cell Reports. "We focused on the neurons located in the basal ganglia," said Professor Gordon Arbuthnott, who leads OIST's Brain Mechanisms for Behavior Unit. "This part of the brain is connected to the cerebral cortex, which is involved in motor function. And neurons, or nerve cells, are specialized cells that act as the building blocks of the nervous system - they connect input from the outside world to movement in our muscles."