Document Detail


Default motor preparation under conditions of response uncertainty.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  21997330     Owner:  NLM     Status:  Publisher    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
In a choice reaction time (RT) paradigm, providing partial advance information (a precue) about the upcoming response has been shown to decrease RT, presumably due to preprogramming of the precued parameters. When advance information about a particular aspect of a movement is provided (precued), several different strategies might be used to prepare the motor system during the foreperiod. For example, in studies where response preparation time was manipulated, precues were provided specifying the required arm and direction but movement amplitude was left uncertain. In this case it was shown that a default movement was preprogrammed whose amplitude was intermediate between the alternatives (Favilla et al. in Exp Brain Res 75(2):280-294, 1989, Exp Brain Res 79(3):530-538, 1990; Ghez et al. in Exp Brain Res 115(2):217-233, 1997). However, this strategy did not appear to be used in a RT task since there was an absence of online adjustments to movement. Therefore, it appeared movements were not initiated until all parameters had been correctly specified and programmed by the nervous system (Bock and Arnold in Exp Brain Res 90:(1):209-216, 1992). The present study reinvestigated the notion of a default movement preparation strategy in a choice RT paradigm, employing the triggering effect of a startling acoustic stimulus. On control trials (80 dB imperative stimulus), the movements were initiated toward the correct targets. Providing a startle stimulus (124 dB) resulted in the early initiation of a "default" movement whose amplitude fell in between the potential response alternatives. Thus, the current experiment found behavioral evidence of default intermediate-amplitude movement preparation as a strategy under conditions of response amplitude uncertainty.
Authors:
Christopher J Forgaard; Dana Maslovat; Anthony N Carlsen; Ian M Franks
Publication Detail:
Type:  JOURNAL ARTICLE     Date:  2011-10-14
Journal Detail:
Title:  Experimental brain research. Experimentelle Hirnforschung. Experimentation cerebrale     Volume:  -     ISSN:  1432-1106     ISO Abbreviation:  -     Publication Date:  2011 Oct 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2011-10-14     Completed Date:  -     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0043312     Medline TA:  Exp Brain Res     Country:  -    
Other Details:
Languages:  ENG     Pagination:  -     Citation Subset:  -    
Affiliation:
School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, War Memorial Gymnasium 210-6081 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z1, Canada.
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