Comparison of Motor Inhibition in Variants of the Instructed-Delay Choice Reaction Time Task.

Using instructed-delay choice reaction time (RT) paradigms, many previous studies have shown that the motor system is transiently inhibited during response preparation: motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) elicited by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the primary motor cortex are typically supp...

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Main Authors: Caroline Quoilin, Julien Lambert, Benvenuto Jacob, Pierre-Alexandre Klein, Julie Duque
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2016-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5007028?pdf=render
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author Caroline Quoilin
Julien Lambert
Benvenuto Jacob
Pierre-Alexandre Klein
Julie Duque
author_facet Caroline Quoilin
Julien Lambert
Benvenuto Jacob
Pierre-Alexandre Klein
Julie Duque
author_sort Caroline Quoilin
collection DOAJ
description Using instructed-delay choice reaction time (RT) paradigms, many previous studies have shown that the motor system is transiently inhibited during response preparation: motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) elicited by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the primary motor cortex are typically suppressed during the delay period. This effect has been observed in both selected and non-selected effectors, although MEP changes in selected effectors have been more inconsistent across task versions. Here, we compared changes in MEP amplitudes in three different variants of an instructed-delay choice RT task. All variants required participants to choose between left and right index finger movements but the responses were either provided "in the air" (Variant 1), on a regular keyboard (Variant 2), or on a response device designed to control from premature responses (Variant 3). The task variants also differed according to the visual layout (more concrete in Variant 3) and depending on whether participants received a feedback of their performance (absent in Variant 1). Behavior was globally comparable between the three variants of the task although the propensity to respond prematurely was highest in Variant 2 and lowest in Variant 3. MEPs elicited in a non-selected hand were similarly suppressed in the three variants of the task. However, significant differences emerged when considering MEPs elicited in the selected hand: these MEPs were suppressed in Variants 1 and 3 whereas they were often facilitated in Variant 2, especially in the right dominant hand. In conclusion, MEPs elicited in selected muscles seem to be more sensitive to small variations to the task design than those recorded in non-selected effectors, probably because they reflect a complex combination of inhibitory and facilitatory influences on the motor output system. Finally, the use of a standard keyboard seems to be particularly inappropriate because it encourages participants to respond promptly with no means to control for premature responses, probably increasing the relative amount of facilitatory influences at the time motor inhibition is probed.
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spelling doaj.art-dc775b68ddfd4eeda14dbbbb23307d3c2022-12-22T01:21:27ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032016-01-01118e016196410.1371/journal.pone.0161964Comparison of Motor Inhibition in Variants of the Instructed-Delay Choice Reaction Time Task.Caroline QuoilinJulien LambertBenvenuto JacobPierre-Alexandre KleinJulie DuqueUsing instructed-delay choice reaction time (RT) paradigms, many previous studies have shown that the motor system is transiently inhibited during response preparation: motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) elicited by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the primary motor cortex are typically suppressed during the delay period. This effect has been observed in both selected and non-selected effectors, although MEP changes in selected effectors have been more inconsistent across task versions. Here, we compared changes in MEP amplitudes in three different variants of an instructed-delay choice RT task. All variants required participants to choose between left and right index finger movements but the responses were either provided "in the air" (Variant 1), on a regular keyboard (Variant 2), or on a response device designed to control from premature responses (Variant 3). The task variants also differed according to the visual layout (more concrete in Variant 3) and depending on whether participants received a feedback of their performance (absent in Variant 1). Behavior was globally comparable between the three variants of the task although the propensity to respond prematurely was highest in Variant 2 and lowest in Variant 3. MEPs elicited in a non-selected hand were similarly suppressed in the three variants of the task. However, significant differences emerged when considering MEPs elicited in the selected hand: these MEPs were suppressed in Variants 1 and 3 whereas they were often facilitated in Variant 2, especially in the right dominant hand. In conclusion, MEPs elicited in selected muscles seem to be more sensitive to small variations to the task design than those recorded in non-selected effectors, probably because they reflect a complex combination of inhibitory and facilitatory influences on the motor output system. Finally, the use of a standard keyboard seems to be particularly inappropriate because it encourages participants to respond promptly with no means to control for premature responses, probably increasing the relative amount of facilitatory influences at the time motor inhibition is probed.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5007028?pdf=render
spellingShingle Caroline Quoilin
Julien Lambert
Benvenuto Jacob
Pierre-Alexandre Klein
Julie Duque
Comparison of Motor Inhibition in Variants of the Instructed-Delay Choice Reaction Time Task.
PLoS ONE
title Comparison of Motor Inhibition in Variants of the Instructed-Delay Choice Reaction Time Task.
title_full Comparison of Motor Inhibition in Variants of the Instructed-Delay Choice Reaction Time Task.
title_fullStr Comparison of Motor Inhibition in Variants of the Instructed-Delay Choice Reaction Time Task.
title_full_unstemmed Comparison of Motor Inhibition in Variants of the Instructed-Delay Choice Reaction Time Task.
title_short Comparison of Motor Inhibition in Variants of the Instructed-Delay Choice Reaction Time Task.
title_sort comparison of motor inhibition in variants of the instructed delay choice reaction time task
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5007028?pdf=render
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