Pause and Rewind: Exploring the Brain’s Internal Hourglass

Everyday actions like speaking or swinging a tennis racket depend on precise timing. However, how the brain tracks time to decide when to initiate movement was unclear. We recently discovered an internal timer in the brain - two interconnected brain regions that work together like an hourglass to start movements at the right time. Discovering this internal timer provides a framework for understanding timing deficits in movement disorders.