Expectancy Induces Dynamic Modulation of Corticospinal Excitability

• Published in: Journal of cognitive neuroscience Vol. 19; no. 1; pp. 121 - 131
• Main Authors: van Elswijk, Gijs, Kleine, Bert U., Overeem, Sebastiaan, Stegeman, Dick F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: One Rogers Street, Cambridge, MA 02142-1209, USA MIT Press 01.01.2007; MIT Press Journals, The
• Subjects: Adult; Anatomical correlates of behavior; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Brain research; Cognition & reasoning; Electric Stimulation - methods; Evoked Potentials, Motor - physiology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Inhibition (Psychology); Intention; Male; Motor ability; Motor Cortex - physiology; Neurology; Neurons; Nonlinear Dynamics; Perceptions; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychomotor Performance - physiology; Pyramidal Tracts - physiology; Reaction Time - physiology; Reaction Time - radiation effects; Time Factors; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; Human; Pyramidal motor pathway; Modulation; Central nervous system; Excitability; Corticospinal bundle; Cognition; Expectation

Behavioral studies using motor preparation paradigms have revealed that increased expectancy of a response signal shortens reaction times (RTs). Neurophysiological data suggest that in such paradigms, not only RT but also neuronal activity in the motor structures involved is modulated by expectancy...