touchpad motion stops responding sporadically in 20.10 mate beta

a couple of minutes after boot, the touchpad stops responding (can't move the pointer, but the buttons are still responsive)

Machine: Thinkpad T460s
Kernel: 5.8.0-23-generic #24-Ubuntu
OS: Mate 20.10 beta

The Trackpoint (the nipple in the middle of the keyboard) and external mouse continue to function. The trackpoint however, moves much slower than usual.

EDIT:

Restarting lightdm.service fixes the problem temporarily. However, shortly after logging back in the touchpad stops responding again.
---
ProblemType: Bug
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu50
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: jojo 10916 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/pcmC0D0c: jojo 10916 F...m pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p: jojo 10916 F...m pulseaudio
BootLog:

CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
CurrentDesktop: MATE
DistUpgraded: 2020-10-13 22:15:13,346 DEBUG Running PostInstallScript: './xorg_fix_proprietary.py'
DistroCodename: groovy
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.10
DistroVariant: ubuntu
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=0310afeb-bdd2-440c-839e-bedbeef8ef14
InstallationDate: Installed on 2016-07-23 (1545 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-MATE 16.04.1 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Release amd64 (20160719)
MachineType: LENOVO 20F9004FUS
Package: xserver-xorg-input-synaptics 1.9.1-1ubuntu3
PackageArchitecture: amd64
ProcFB: 0 i915drmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-5.8.0-23-generic root=UUID=074ff7b7-c074-4137-8cf7-d46cdd7dd723 ro quiet nosplash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.8.0-23.24-generic 5.8.14
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-5.8.0-23-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-5.8.0-23-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.190
Tags: groovy ubuntu
Uname: Linux 5.8.0-23-generic x86_64
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to groovy on 2020-10-14 (2 days ago)
UserGroups: adm cdrom dialout dip lpadmin plugdev sambashare saned sudo vboxsf vboxusers wireshark
_MarkForUpload: True
dmi.bios.date: 10/30/2019
dmi.bios.release: 1.46
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: N1CET78W (1.46 )
dmi.board.asset.tag: Not Available
dmi.board.name: 20F9004FUS
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: SDK0J40705 WIN
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.chassis.version: None
dmi.ec.firmware.release: 1.14
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvrN1CET78W(1.46):bd10/30/2019:br1.46:efr1.14:svnLENOVO:pn20F9004FUS:pvrThinkPadT460s:rvnLENOVO:rn20F9004FUS:rvrSDK0J40705WIN:cvnLENOVO:ct10:cvrNone:
dmi.product.family: ThinkPad T460s
dmi.product.name: 20F9004FUS
dmi.product.sku: LENOVO_MT_20F9_BU_Think_FM_ThinkPad T460s
dmi.product.version: ThinkPad T460s
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO
version.compiz: compiz N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.102-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 20.2.0-1
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 20.2.0-1
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.20.8-2ubuntu6
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.10.6-2
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:19.1.0-1ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.99.917+git20200714-1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.16-1
---
ProblemType: Bug
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu50
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: jojo 1897 F.... pulseaudio
BootLog:

CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
CurrentDesktop: MATE
DistUpgraded: 2020-10-13 22:15:13,346 DEBUG Running PostInstallScript: './xorg_fix_proprietary.py'
DistroCodename: groovy
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.10
DistroVariant: ubuntu
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=0310afeb-bdd2-440c-839e-bedbeef8ef14
InstallationDate: Installed on 2016-07-23 (1547 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-MATE 16.04.1 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Release amd64 (20160719)
MachineType: LENOVO 20F9004FUS
Package: xserver-xorg-input-synaptics 1.9.1-1ubuntu3
PackageArchitecture: amd64
ProcFB: 0 i915drmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-5.8.0-23-generic root=UUID=074ff7b7-c074-4137-8cf7-d46cdd7dd723 ro quiet nosplash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.8.0-23.24-generic 5.8.14
PulseList:
 Error: command ['pacmd', 'list'] failed with exit code 1: XDG_RUNTIME_DIR (/run/user/1001) is not owned by us (uid 0), but by uid 1001! (This could e.g. happen if you try to connect to a non-root PulseAudio as a root user, over the native protocol. Don't do that.)
 No PulseAudio daemon running, or not running as session daemon.
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-5.8.0-23-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-5.8.0-23-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.190
Tags: groovy ubuntu
Uname: Linux 5.8.0-23-generic x86_64
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to groovy on 2020-10-14 (4 days ago)
UserGroups: N/A
_MarkForUpload: True
dmi.bios.date: 10/30/2019
dmi.bios.release: 1.46
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: N1CET78W (1.46 )
dmi.board.asset.tag: Not Available
dmi.board.name: 20F9004FUS
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: SDK0J40705 WIN
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.chassis.version: None
dmi.ec.firmware.release: 1.14
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvrN1CET78W(1.46):bd10/30/2019:br1.46:efr1.14:svnLENOVO:pn20F9004FUS:pvrThinkPadT460s:rvnLENOVO:rn20F9004FUS:rvrSDK0J40705WIN:cvnLENOVO:ct10:cvrNone:
dmi.product.family: ThinkPad T460s
dmi.product.name: 20F9004FUS
dmi.product.sku: LENOVO_MT_20F9_BU_Think_FM_ThinkPad T460s
dmi.product.version: ThinkPad T460s
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO
version.compiz: compiz N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.102-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 20.2.0-1
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 20.2.0-1
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.20.9-2ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.10.6-2
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:19.1.0-1ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.99.917+git20200714-1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.16-1