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Marinovic W, Nguyen AT, Vallence AM, Tresilian JR, Lipp OV. The interplay of perceptual processing demands and practice in modulating voluntary and involuntary motor responses. Psychophysiology 2024:e14672. [PMID: 39154364 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 08/08/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024]
Abstract
Understanding how sensory processing demands affect the ability to ignore task-irrelevant, loud auditory stimuli (LAS) during a task is key to performance in dynamic environments. For example, tennis players must ignore crowd noise to perform optimally. We investigated how practice affects this ability by examining the effects of delivering LASs during preparatory phase of an anticipatory timing (AT) task on the voluntary and reflexive responses in two conditions: lower and higher visual processing loads. Twenty-four participants (mean age = 23.1, 11 females) completed the experiment. The AT task involved synchronizing a finger abduction response with the last visual stimulus item in a sequence of four Gabor grating patches briefly flashed on screen. The lower demand condition involved only this task, and the higher demand condition required processing the orientations of the patches to report changes in the final stimulus item. Our results showed that higher visual processing demands affected the release of voluntary actions, particularly in the first block of trials. When the perceptual load was lower, responses were released earlier by the LAS compared to the high-load condition. Practice reduced these effects largely, but high perceptual load still led to earlier action release in the second block. In contrast, practice led to more apparent facilitation of eyeblink latency in the second block. These findings indicate that a simple perceptual load manipulation can impact the execution of voluntary motor actions, particularly for inexperienced participants. They also suggest distinct movement preparation influences on voluntary and involuntary actions triggered by acoustic stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Welber Marinovic
- School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - An T Nguyen
- School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Ann-Maree Vallence
- School of Psychology and Exercise Science, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
| | | | - Ottmar V Lipp
- School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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2
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Wadsley CG, Nguyen T, Horton C, Greenhouse I. Goal-directed action preparation in humans entails a mixture of corticospinal neural computations. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.08.602530. [PMID: 39026882 PMCID: PMC11257418 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.08.602530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
The seemingly effortless ability of humans to transition from thinking about actions to initiating them relies on sculpting corticospinal output from primary motor cortex. This study tested whether canonical additive and multiplicative neural computations, well-described in sensory systems, generalize to the corticospinal pathway during human action preparation. We used non-invasive brain stimulation to measure corticospinal input-output across varying action preparation contexts during instructed-delay finger response tasks. Goal-directed action preparation was marked by increased multiplicative gain of corticospinal projections to task-relevant muscles and additive suppression of corticospinal projections to non-selected and task-irrelevant muscles. Individuals who modulated corticospinal gain to a greater extent were faster to initiate prepared responses. Our findings provide physiological evidence of combined additive suppression and gain modulation in the human motor system. We propose these computations support action preparation by enhancing the contrast between selected motor representations and surrounding background activity to facilitate response selection and execution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corey G. Wadsley
- Action Control Lab, Department of Human Physiology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
| | - Thuan Nguyen
- School of Public Health, Portland State University-Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Chris Horton
- Action Control Lab, Department of Human Physiology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
| | - Ian Greenhouse
- Action Control Lab, Department of Human Physiology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
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3
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Casula EP, Pezzopane V, Roncaioli A, Battaglini L, Rumiati R, Rothwell J, Rocchi L, Koch G. Real-time cortical dynamics during motor inhibition. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7871. [PMID: 38570543 PMCID: PMC10991402 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57602-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The inhibition of action is a fundamental executive mechanism of human behaviour that involve a complex neural network. In spite of the progresses made so far, many questions regarding the brain dynamics occurring during action inhibition are still unsolved. Here, we used a novel approach optimized to investigate real-time effective brain dynamics, which combines transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with simultaneous electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings. 22 healthy volunteers performed a motor Go/NoGo task during TMS of the hand-hotspot of the primary motor cortex (M1) and whole-scalp EEG recordings. We reconstructed source-based real-time spatiotemporal dynamics of cortical activity and cortico-cortical connectivity throughout the task. Our results showed a task-dependent bi-directional change in theta/gamma supplementary motor cortex (SMA) and M1 connectivity that, when participants were instructed to inhibit their response, resulted in an increase of a specific TMS-evoked EEG potential (N100), likely due to a GABA-mediated inhibition. Interestingly, these changes were linearly related to reaction times, when participants were asked to produce a motor response. In addition, TMS perturbation revealed a task-dependent long-lasting modulation of SMA-M1 natural frequencies, i.e. alpha/beta activity. Some of these results are shared by animal models and shed new light on the physiological mechanisms of motor inhibition in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias Paolo Casula
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
- Department of System Medicine, University of Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, Italy.
- Department of Behavioural and Clinical Neurology, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179, Rome, Italy.
| | - Valentina Pezzopane
- Department of Behavioural and Clinical Neurology, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179, Rome, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Andrea Roncaioli
- Department of Behavioural and Clinical Neurology, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179, Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Battaglini
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, 35131, Padua, Italy
| | - Raffaella Rumiati
- Department of System Medicine, University of Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - John Rothwell
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Lorenzo Rocchi
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, 09124, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Giacomo Koch
- Department of Behavioural and Clinical Neurology, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179, Rome, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
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4
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Augenstein TE, Oh S, Norris TA, Mekler J, Sethi A, Krishnan C. Corticospinal excitability during motor preparation of upper extremity reaches reflects flexor muscle synergies: A novel principal component-based motor evoked potential analyses. Restor Neurol Neurosci 2024; 42:121-138. [PMID: 38607772 DOI: 10.3233/rnn-231367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Background Previous research has shown that noninvasive brain stimulation can be used to study how the central nervous system (CNS) prepares the execution of a motor task. However, these previous studies have been limited to a single muscle or single degree of freedom movements (e.g., wrist flexion). It is currently unclear if the findings of these studies generalize to multi-joint movements involving multiple muscles, which may be influenced by kinematic redundancy and muscle synergies. Objective The objective of this study was to characterize corticospinal excitability during motor preparation in the cortex prior to functional upper extremity reaches. Methods 20 participants without neurological impairments volunteered for this study. During the experiment, the participants reached for a cup in response to a visual "Go Cue". Prior to movement onset, we used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to stimulate the motor cortex and measured the changes in motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in several upper extremity muscles. We varied each participant's initial arm posture and used a novel synergy-based MEP analysis to examine the effect of muscle coordination on MEPs. Additionally, we varied the timing of the stimulation between the Go Cue and movement onset to examine the time course of motor preparation. Results We found that synergies with strong proximal muscle (shoulder and elbow) components emerged as the stimulation was delivered closer to movement onset, regardless of arm posture, but MEPs in the distal (wrist and finger) muscles were not facilitated. We also found that synergies varied with arm posture in a manner that reflected the muscle coordination of the reach. Conclusions We believe that these findings provide useful insight into the way the CNS plans motor skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E Augenstein
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, NeuRRo Lab, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Robotics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Seonga Oh
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, NeuRRo Lab, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Trevor A Norris
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, NeuRRo Lab, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Amit Sethi
- Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Chandramouli Krishnan
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, NeuRRo Lab, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Robotics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Denyer R, Greenhouse I, Boyd LA. PMd and action preparation: bridging insights between TMS and single neuron research. Trends Cogn Sci 2023; 27:759-772. [PMID: 37244800 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) research has furthered understanding of human dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) function due to its unrivalled ability to measure the inhibitory and facilitatory influences of PMd over the primary motor cortex (M1) in a temporally precise manner. TMS research indicates that PMd transiently modulates inhibitory output to effector representations within M1 during motor preparation, with the direction of modulation depending on which effectors are selected for response, and the timing of modulations co-varying with task selection demands. In this review, we critically assess this literature in the context of a dynamical systems approach used to model nonhuman primate (NHP) PMd/M1 single-neuron recordings during action preparation. Through this process, we identify gaps in the literature and propose future experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronan Denyer
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z3, Canada; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z3, Canada.
| | - Ian Greenhouse
- Department of Human Physiology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97401, USA
| | - Lara A Boyd
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z3, Canada
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Spampinato DA, Ibanez J, Rocchi L, Rothwell J. Motor potentials evoked by transcranial magnetic stimulation: interpreting a simple measure of a complex system. J Physiol 2023; 601:2827-2851. [PMID: 37254441 PMCID: PMC10952180 DOI: 10.1113/jp281885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive technique that is increasingly used to study the human brain. One of the principal outcome measures is the motor-evoked potential (MEP) elicited in a muscle following TMS over the primary motor cortex (M1), where it is used to estimate changes in corticospinal excitability. However, multiple elements play a role in MEP generation, so even apparently simple measures such as peak-to-peak amplitude have a complex interpretation. Here, we summarize what is currently known regarding the neural pathways and circuits that contribute to the MEP and discuss the factors that should be considered when interpreting MEP amplitude measured at rest in the context of motor processing and patients with neurological conditions. In the last part of this work, we also discuss how emerging technological approaches can be combined with TMS to improve our understanding of neural substrates that can influence MEPs. Overall, this review aims to highlight the capabilities and limitations of TMS that are important to recognize when attempting to disentangle sources that contribute to the physiological state-related changes in corticomotor excitability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danny Adrian Spampinato
- Department of Clinical and Movement NeurosciencesUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- Department of Human NeurosciencesSapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
- Department of Clinical and Behavioral NeurologyIRCCS Santa Lucia FoundationRomeItaly
| | - Jaime Ibanez
- Department of Clinical and Movement NeurosciencesUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- BSICoS group, I3A Institute and IIS AragónUniversity of ZaragozaZaragozaSpain
- Department of Bioengineering, Centre for NeurotechnologiesImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - Lorenzo Rocchi
- Department of Clinical and Movement NeurosciencesUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public HealthUniversity of CagliariCagliariItaly
| | - John Rothwell
- Department of Clinical and Movement NeurosciencesUniversity College LondonLondonUK
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7
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Augenstein TE, Oh S, Norris TA, Mekler J, Sethi A, Krishnan C. Muscle Coordination Matters: Insights into Motor Planning using Corticospinal Responses during Functional Reaching. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.15.540531. [PMID: 37292868 PMCID: PMC10245565 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.15.540531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The central nervous system (CNS) moves the human body by forming a plan in the primary motor cortex and then executing this plan by activating the relevant muscles. It is possible to study motor planning by using noninvasive brain stimulation techniques to stimulate the motor cortex prior to a movement and examine the evoked responses. Studying the motor planning process can reveal useful information about the CNS, but previous studies have generally been limited to single degree of freedom movements ( e.g., wrist flexion). It is currently unclear if findings in these studies generalize to multi-joint movements, which may be influenced by kinematic redundancy and muscle synergies. Here, our objective was to characterize motor planning in the cortex prior to a functional reach involving the upper extremity. We asked participants to reach for a cup placed in front of them when presented with a visual "Go Cue". Following the go cue, but prior to movement onset, we used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to stimulate the motor cortex and measured the changes in the magnitudes of evoked responses in several upper extremity muscles (MEPs). We varied each participant's initial arm posture to examine the effect of muscle coordination on MEPs. Additionally, we varied the timing of the stimulation between the go cue and movement onset to examine the time course of changes in the MEPs. We found that the MEPs in all proximal (shoulder and elbow) muscles increased as the stimulation was delivered closer to movement onset, regardless of arm posture, but MEPs in the distal (wrist and finger) muscles were not facilitated or even inhibited. We also found that facilitation varied with arm posture in a manner that reflected the coordination of the subsequent reach. We believe that these findings provide useful insight into the way the CNS plans motor skills.
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8
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Nguyen AT, Tresilian JR, Lipp OV, Tavora-Vieira D, Marinovic W. Evolving changes in cortical and subcortical excitability during movement preparation: A study of brain potentials and eye-blink reflexes during loud acoustic stimulation. Psychophysiology 2023:e14267. [PMID: 36748371 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
During preparation for action, the presentation of loud acoustic stimuli (LAS) can trigger movements at very short latencies in a phenomenon called the StartReact effect. It was initially proposed that a special, separate subcortical mechanism that bypasses slower cortical areas could be involved. We sought to examine the evidence for a separate mechanism against the alternative that responses to LAS can be explained by a combination of stimulus intensity effects and preparatory states. To investigate whether cortically mediated preparatory processes are involved in mediating reactions to LAS, we used an auditory reaction task where we manipulated the preparation level within each trial by altering the conditional probability of the imperative stimulus. We contrasted responses to non-intense tones and LAS and examined whether cortical activation and subcortical excitability and motor responses were influenced by preparation levels. Increases in preparation levels were marked by gradual reductions in reaction time (RT) coupled with increases in cortical activation and subcortical excitability - at both condition and trial levels. Interestingly, changes in cortical activation influenced motor and auditory but not visual areas - highlighting the widespread yet selective nature of preparation. RTs were shorter to LAS than tones, but the overall pattern of preparation level effects was the same for both stimuli. Collectively, the results demonstrate that LAS responses are indeed shaped by cortically mediated preparatory processes. The concurrent changes observed in brain and behavior with increasing preparation reinforce the notion that preparation is marked by evolving brain states which shape the motor system for action.
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Affiliation(s)
- An T Nguyen
- School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | | | - Ottmar V Lipp
- School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Welber Marinovic
- School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
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9
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Wilhelm E, Quoilin C, Derosiere G, Paço S, Jeanjean A, Duque J. Corticospinal Suppression Underlying Intact Movement Preparation Fades in Parkinson's Disease. Mov Disord 2022; 37:2396-2406. [PMID: 36121426 DOI: 10.1002/mds.29214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Parkinson's disease (PD), neurophysiological abnormalities within the primary motor cortex (M1) have been shown to contribute to bradykinesia, but exact modalities are still uncertain. We propose that such motor slowness could involve alterations in mechanisms underlying movement preparation, especially the suppression of corticospinal excitability-called "preparatory suppression"-which is considered to propel movement execution by increasing motor neural gain in healthy individuals. METHODS On two consecutive days, 29 PD patients (on and off medication) and 29 matched healthy controls (HCs) underwent transcranial magnetic stimulation over M1, eliciting motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) in targeted hand muscles, while they were either at rest or preparing a left- or right-hand response in an instructed-delay choice reaction time task. Preparatory suppression was assessed by expressing MEP amplitudes during movement preparation relative to rest. RESULTS Contrary to HCs, PD patients showed a lack of preparatory suppression when the side of the responding hand was analyzed, especially when the latter was the most affected one. This deficit, which did not depend on dopamine medication, increased with disease duration and also tended to correlate with motor impairment, as measured by the Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, Part III (both total and bradykinesia scores). CONCLUSIONS Our novel findings indicate that preparatory suppression fades in PD, in parallel with worsening motor symptoms, including bradykinesia. Such results suggest that an alteration in this marker of intact movement preparation could indeed cause motor slowness and support its use in future studies on the relation between M1 alterations and motor impairment in PD. © 2022 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle Wilhelm
- CoActions Lab, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Adult Neurology, Saint-Luc University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Caroline Quoilin
- CoActions Lab, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Gerard Derosiere
- CoActions Lab, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Susana Paço
- NOVA IMS, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Anne Jeanjean
- Department of Adult Neurology, Saint-Luc University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Julie Duque
- CoActions Lab, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
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10
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Tecilla M, Guerra A, Rocchi L, Määttä S, Bologna M, Herrojo Ruiz M, Biundo R, Antonini A, Ferreri F. Action Selection and Motor Decision Making: Insights from Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. Brain Sci 2022; 12:639. [PMID: 35625025 PMCID: PMC9139261 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12050639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In everyday life, goal-oriented motor behaviour relies on the estimation of the rewards/costs associated with alternative actions and on the appropriate selection of movements. Motor decision making is defined as the process by which a motor plan is chosen among a set of competing actions based on the expected value. In the present literature review we discuss evidence from transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) studies of motor control. We focus primarily on studies of action selection for instructed movements and motor decision making. In the first section, we delve into the usefulness of various TMS paradigms to characterise the contribution of motor areas and distributed brain networks to cued action selection. Then, we address the influence of motivational information (e.g., reward and biomechanical cost) in guiding action choices based on TMS findings. Finally, we conclude that TMS represents a powerful tool for elucidating the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying action choices in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margherita Tecilla
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London SE146NW, UK; (M.T.); (M.H.R.)
| | - Andrea Guerra
- IRCCS Neuromed, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy; (A.G.); (M.B.)
| | - Lorenzo Rocchi
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, 09124 Cagliari, Italy;
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N3BG, UK
| | - Sara Määttä
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Kuopio University Hospital, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland;
| | - Matteo Bologna
- IRCCS Neuromed, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy; (A.G.); (M.B.)
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Herrojo Ruiz
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London SE146NW, UK; (M.T.); (M.H.R.)
| | - Roberta Biundo
- Department of General Psychology and Study Center for Neurodegeneration (CESNE), University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy;
- San Camillo IRCSS Hospital, 30126 Lido di Venezia, Italy
| | - Angelo Antonini
- Parkinson and Movement Disorders Unit, Study Center for Neurodegeneration (CESNE), Department of Neuroscience, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy;
| | - Florinda Ferreri
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Kuopio University Hospital, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland;
- Unit of Neurology, Unit of Clinical Neurophysiology and Study Center for Neurodegeneration (CESNE), Department of Neuroscience, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy
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11
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Gong R, Mühlberg C, Wegscheider M, Fricke C, Rumpf JJ, Knösche TR, Classen J. Cross-frequency phase-amplitude coupling in repetitive movements in patients with Parkinson's disease. J Neurophysiol 2022; 127:1606-1621. [PMID: 35544757 PMCID: PMC9190732 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00541.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Bradykinesia is a cardinal motor symptom in Parkinson’s disease (PD), the pathophysiology of which is not fully understood. We analyzed the role of cross-frequency coupling of oscillatory cortical activity in motor impairment in patients with PD and healthy controls. High-density EEG signals were recorded during various motor activities and at rest. Patients performed a repetitive finger-pressing task normally, but were slower than controls during tapping. Phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) between β (13–30 Hz) and broadband γ (50–150 Hz) was computed from individual EEG source signals in the premotor, primary motor, and primary somatosensory cortices, and the primary somatosensory complex. In all four regions, averaging the entire movement period resulted in higher PAC in patients than in controls for the resting condition and the pressing task (similar performance between groups). However, this was not the case for the tapping tasks where patients performed slower. This suggests the strength of state-related β-γ PAC does not determine Parkinsonian bradykinesia. Examination of the dynamics of oscillatory EEG signals during motor transitions revealed a distinctive motif of PAC rise and decay around press onset. This pattern was also present at press offset and slow tapping onset, linking such idiosyncratic PAC changes to transitions between different movement states. The transition-related PAC modulation in patients was similar to controls in the pressing task but flattened during slow tapping, which related to normal and abnormal performance, respectively. These findings suggest that the dysfunctional evolution of neuronal population dynamics during movement execution is an important component of the pathophysiology of Parkinsonian bradykinesia. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Our findings using noninvasive EEG recordings provide evidence that PAC dynamics might play a role in the physiological cortical control of movement execution and may encode transitions between movement states. Results in patients with Parkinson’s disease suggest that bradykinesia is related to a deficit of the dynamic regulation of PAC during movement execution rather than its absolute strength. Our findings may contribute to the development of a new concept of the pathophysiology of bradykinesia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruxue Gong
- Department of Neurology, Leipzig University Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany.,Method and Development Group Brain Networks, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christoph Mühlberg
- Department of Neurology, Leipzig University Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mirko Wegscheider
- Department of Neurology, Leipzig University Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christopher Fricke
- Department of Neurology, Leipzig University Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jost-Julian Rumpf
- Department of Neurology, Leipzig University Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thomas R Knösche
- Method and Development Group Brain Networks, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Joseph Classen
- Department of Neurology, Leipzig University Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
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12
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Sadler CM, Maslovat D, Cressman EK, Dutil C, Carlsen AN. Response Preparation of a Secondary Reaction Time Task is Influenced by Movement Phase within a Continuous Visuomotor Tracking Task. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 56:3645-3659. [PMID: 35445463 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The simultaneous performance of two motor tasks is challenging. Currently, it is unclear how response preparation of a secondary task is impacted by the performance of a continuous primary task. The purpose of the present experiment was to investigate whether the position of the limb performing the primary cyclical tracking task impacts response preparation of a secondary reaction time task. Participants (n=20) performed a continuous tracking task with their left hand that involved cyclical and targeted wrist flexion and extension. Occasionally, a probe reaction time task requiring isometric wrist extension was performed with the right hand in response to an auditory stimulus (80 dB or 120 dB) that was triggered when the left hand passed through one of ten locations identified within the movement cycle. On separate trials, transcranial magnetic stimulation was applied over the left primary motor cortex and triggered at the same 10 stimulus locations to assess corticospinal excitability associated with the probe reaction time task. Results revealed that probe reaction times were significantly longer and motor evoked potential amplitudes were significantly larger when the left hand was in the middle of a movement cycle compared to an endpoint, suggesting that response preparation of a secondary probe reaction time task was modulated by the phase of movement within the continuous primary task. These results indicate that primary motor task requirements can impact preparation of a secondary task, reinforcing the importance of considering primary task characteristics in dual-task experimental design.
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13
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Greenhouse I. Inhibition for gain modulation in the motor system. Exp Brain Res 2022; 240:1295-1302. [DOI: 10.1007/s00221-022-06351-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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14
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Rawji V, Modi S, Rocchi L, Jahanshahi M, Rothwel J. Proactive inhibition is marked by differences in the pattern of motor cortex activity during movement preparation and execution. J Neurophysiol 2022; 127:819-828. [PMID: 35235439 PMCID: PMC8957347 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00359.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Successful human behavior relies on the ability to flexibly alter movements depending on the context in which they are made. One such context-dependent modulation is proactive inhibition, a type of behavioral inhibition used when anticipating the need to stop or change movements. We investigated how the motor cortex might prepare and execute movements made under different contexts. We used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in different coil orientations [postero-anterior (PA) and antero-posterior (AP) flowing currents] and pulse widths (120 and 30 µs) to probe the excitability of different inputs to corticospinal neurons while participants performed two reaction time tasks: a simple reaction time task and a stop-signal task requiring proactive inhibition. We took inspiration from state space models to assess whether the pattern of motor cortex activity changed due to proactive inhibition (PA and AP neuronal circuits represent the x and y axes of a state space upon which motor cortex activity unfolds during motor preparation and execution). We found that the rise in motor cortex excitability was delayed when proactive inhibition was required. State space visualizations showed altered patterns of motor cortex activity (combined PA120 and AP30 activity) during proactive inhibition, despite adjusting for reaction time. Overall, we show that the pattern of neural activity generated by the motor cortex during movement preparation and execution is dependent upon the context under which the movement is to be made. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Using directional TMS, we find that the human motor cortex flexibly changes its pattern of neural activity depending on the context in which a movement is due to be made. Interestingly, this occurs despite adjusting for reaction time. We also show that state space and dynamical systems models of movement can be noninvasively visualized in humans using TMS, thereby offering a novel method to study these powerful models in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishal Rawji
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sachin Modi
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lorenzo Rocchi
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Marjan Jahanshahi
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - John Rothwel
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
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15
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Puri R, Hinder MR. Response bias reveals the role of interhemispheric inhibitory networks in movement preparation and execution. Neuropsychologia 2021; 165:108120. [PMID: 34915037 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.108120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Human movement is influenced by various cognitive processes, such as bias, that dynamically shape competing movement representations. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the effects of bias on movement selection across the lifespan remains poorly understood. Healthy young (n = 21) and older (n = 20) adults completed a choice reaction-time task necessitating left- or right-hand responses to imperative stimuli (IS). Response bias was manipulated via a cue that informed participants a particular response was 70% likely (i.e., the IS was either congruent, or incongruent, with the cue); biasing was either fixed for blocks of trials (block-wise bias) or varied from trial-to-trial (trial-wise bias). As well as assessing the behavioural manifestations of bias, we used transcranial magnetic stimulation to determine changes in corticospinal excitability (CSE) and short- and long-interval interhemispheric inhibition (SIHI, LIHI) during movement preparation and execution. Participants responded more quickly, and accurately, in congruent compared to incongruent trials. CSE decreases occurred in both hands following the cue, consistent with the 'inhibition for impulse control' hypothesis of preparatory inhibition. In contrast, IHI modulations occurred in a hand-specific manner. Greater SIHI was observed during movement preparation in the hand biased away from, compared to the hand biased towards, the cue; furthermore, greater SIHI was observed during movement execution in the hand biased towards the cue when it was not required to respond (i.e., incongruent trial) compared to when it was required to respond (congruent trial). Additionally, during the movement preparation period, the LIHI ratio of the hand biased towards, compared to the hand biased away from, the cue was greatest when the cue varied trial-by-trial. Overall, the IHI results provide support for the 'inhibition for competition resolution' hypothesis, with hand specific modulation of inhibition during movement preparation and execution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohan Puri
- Sensorimotor Neuroscience and Ageing Research Group, School of Psychological Sciences, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia.
| | - Mark R Hinder
- Sensorimotor Neuroscience and Ageing Research Group, School of Psychological Sciences, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
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16
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McInnes AN, Lipp OV, Tresilian JR, Vallence AM, Marinovic W. Premovement inhibition can protect motor actions from interference by response-irrelevant sensory stimulation. J Physiol 2021; 599:4389-4406. [PMID: 34339524 DOI: 10.1113/jp281849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Suppression of corticospinal excitability is reliably observed during preparation for a range of motor actions, leading to the belief that this preparatory inhibition is a physiologically obligatory component of motor preparation. The neurophysiological function of this suppression is uncertain. We restricted the time available for participants to engage in preparation and found no evidence for preparatory inhibition. The function of preparatory inhibition can be inferred from our findings that sensory stimulation can disrupt motor output in the absence of preparatory inhibition, but enhance motor output when inhibition is present. These findings suggest preparatory inhibition may be a strategic process which acts to protect prepared actions from external interference. Our findings have significant theoretical implications for preparatory processes. Findings may also have a pragmatic benefit in that acoustic stimulation could be used therapeutically to facilitate movement, but only if the action can be prepared well in advance. ABSTRACT Shortly before movement initiation, the corticospinal system undergoes a transient suppression. This phenomenon has been observed across a range of motor tasks, suggesting that it may be an obligatory component of movement preparation. We probed whether this was also the case when the urgency to perform a motor action was high, in a situation where little time was available to engage in preparatory processes. We controlled the urgency of an impending motor action by increasing or decreasing the foreperiod duration in an anticipatory timing task. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS; experiment 1) or a loud acoustic stimulus (LAS; experiment 2) were used to examine how corticospinal and subcortical excitability were modulated during motor preparation. Preparatory inhibition of the corticospinal tract was absent when movement urgency was high, though motor actions were initiated on time. In contrast, subcortical circuits were progressively inhibited as the time to prepare increased. Interestingly, movement force and vigour were reduced by both TMS and the LAS when movement urgency was high, and enhanced when movement urgency was low. These findings indicate that preparatory inhibition may not be an obligatory component of motor preparation. The behavioural effects we observed in the absence of preparatory inhibition were induced by both TMS and the LAS, suggesting that accessory sensory stimulation may disrupt motor output when such stimulation is presented in the absence of preparatory inhibition. We conclude that preparatory inhibition may be an adaptive strategy which can serve to protect the prepared motor action from external interference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron N McInnes
- School of Population Health, Discipline of Psychology, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Ottmar V Lipp
- School of Population Health, Discipline of Psychology, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.,School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Ann-Maree Vallence
- School of Psychology and Exercise Science, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Welber Marinovic
- School of Population Health, Discipline of Psychology, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
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17
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Neige C, Rannaud Monany D, Lebon F. Exploring cortico-cortical interactions during action preparation by means of dual-coil transcranial magnetic stimulation: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 128:678-692. [PMID: 34274404 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Action preparation is characterized by a set of complex and distributed processes that occur in multiple brain areas. Interestingly, dual-coil transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a relevant technique to probe effective connectivity between cortical areas, with a high temporal resolution. In the current systematic review, we aimed at providing a detailed picture of the cortico-cortical interactions underlying action preparation focusing on dual-coil TMS studies. We considered four theoretical processes (impulse control, action selection, movement initiation and action reprogramming) and one task modulator (movement complexity). The main findings highlight 1) the interplay between primary motor cortex (M1) and premotor, prefrontal and parietal cortices during action preparation, 2) the varying (facilitatory or inhibitory) cortico-cortical influence depending on the theoretical processes and the TMS timing, and 3) the key role of the supplementary motor area-M1 interactions that shape the preparation of simple and complex movements. These findings are of particular interest for clinical perspectives, with a need to better characterize functional connectivity deficiency in clinical population with altered action preparation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécilia Neige
- INSERM UMR1093-CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, F-21000, Dijon, France
| | - Dylan Rannaud Monany
- INSERM UMR1093-CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, F-21000, Dijon, France
| | - Florent Lebon
- INSERM UMR1093-CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences du Sport, F-21000, Dijon, France.
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18
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Cirillo G, Di Vico IA, Emadi Andani M, Morgante F, Sepe G, Tessitore A, Bologna M, Tinazzi M. Changes in Corticospinal Circuits During Premovement Facilitation in Physiological Conditions. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:684013. [PMID: 34234660 PMCID: PMC8255790 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.684013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes in corticospinal excitability have been well documented in the preparatory period before movement, however, their mechanisms and physiological role have not been entirely elucidated. We aimed to investigate the functional changes of excitatory corticospinal circuits during a reaction time (RT) motor task (thumb abduction) in healthy subjects (HS). 26 HS received single pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the primary motor cortex (M1). After a visual go signal, we calculated RT and delivered TMS at three intervals (50, 100, and 150 ms) within RT and before movement onset, recording motor evoked potentials (MEP) from the abductor pollicis brevis (APB) and the task-irrelevant abductor digiti minimi (ADM). We found that TMS increased MEPAPB amplitude when delivered at 150, 100, and 50 ms before movement onset, demonstrating the occurrence of premovement facilitation (PMF). MEP increase was greater at the shorter interval (MEP50) and restricted to APB (no significant effects were detected recording from ADM). We also reported time-dependent changes of the RT and a TMS side-dependent effect on MEP amplitude (greater on the dominant side). In conclusion, we here report changes of RT and side-dependent, selective and facilitatory effects on the MEPAPB amplitude when TMS is delivered before movement onset (PMF), supporting the role of excitatory corticospinal mechanisms at the basis of the selective PMF of the target muscle during the RT protocol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Cirillo
- Laboratory of Morphology of Neuronal Network, Division of Human Anatomy, Department of Mental, Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy.,Movement Disorders Division, Neurology Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Ilaria Antonella Di Vico
- Movement Disorders Division, Neurology Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Mehran Emadi Andani
- Movement Disorders Division, Neurology Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Francesca Morgante
- Neurosciences Research Centre, Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Giovanna Sepe
- Laboratory of Morphology of Neuronal Network, Division of Human Anatomy, Department of Mental, Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Alessandro Tessitore
- Division of Neurology and Neurophysiopathology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Matteo Bologna
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Michele Tinazzi
- Movement Disorders Division, Neurology Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
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19
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Stimulation of Different Sectors of the Human Dorsal Premotor Cortex Induces a Shift from Reactive to Predictive Action Strategies and Changes in Motor Inhibition: A Dense Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Mapping Study. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11050534. [PMID: 33923217 PMCID: PMC8146001 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11050534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Delayed motor tasks require timely interaction between immobility and action. The neural substrates of these processes probably reside in the premotor and motor circuits; however, fine-grained anatomical/functional information is still lacking. Participants performed a delayed simple reaction task, structured as a ready-set-go sequence, with a fixed, predictable, SET-period. Responses were given with lip movements. During the SET-period, we performed a systematic dense-mapping of the bilateral dorsal premotor region (dPM) by means of single transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) pulses on an 18-spot mapping grid, interleaved with sham TMS which served as a baseline. Reaction times (RTs) in TMS trials over each grid spot were compared to RTs in sham trials to build a statistical parametric z-map. The results reveal a rostro-caudal functional gradient in the dPM. TMS of the rostral dPM induced a shift from reactive towards predictive response strategies. TMS of the caudal dPM interfered with the SET-period duration. By means of dense TMS mapping, we have drawn a putative functional map of the role of the dPM during the SET-period. A higher-order rostral component is involved in setting action strategies and a caudal, lower-order, part is probably involved in the inhibitory control of motor output.
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20
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Guerra A, Rocchi L, Grego A, Berardi F, Luisi C, Ferreri F. Contribution of TMS and TMS-EEG to the Understanding of Mechanisms Underlying Physiological Brain Aging. Brain Sci 2021; 11:405. [PMID: 33810206 PMCID: PMC8004753 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11030405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In the human brain, aging is characterized by progressive neuronal loss, leading to disruption of synapses and to a degree of failure in neurotransmission. However, there is increasing evidence to support the notion that the aged brain has a remarkable ability to reorganize itself, with the aim of preserving its physiological activity. It is important to develop objective markers able to characterize the biological processes underlying brain aging in the intact human, and to distinguish them from brain degeneration associated with many neurological diseases. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), coupled with electromyography or electroencephalography (EEG), is particularly suited to this aim, due to the functional nature of the information provided, and thanks to the ease with which it can be integrated with behavioral manipulation. In this review, we aimed to provide up to date information about the role of TMS and TMS-EEG in the investigation of brain aging. In particular, we focused on data about cortical excitability, connectivity and plasticity, obtained by using readouts such as motor evoked potentials and transcranial evoked potentials. Overall, findings in the literature support an important potential contribution of TMS to the understanding of the mechanisms underlying normal brain aging. Further studies are needed to expand the current body of information and to assess the applicability of TMS findings in the clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lorenzo Rocchi
- Department of Clinical and Movements Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK;
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, 09124 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Alberto Grego
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padua, 35122 Padua, Italy; (A.G.); (F.B.); (C.L.)
| | - Francesca Berardi
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padua, 35122 Padua, Italy; (A.G.); (F.B.); (C.L.)
| | - Concetta Luisi
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padua, 35122 Padua, Italy; (A.G.); (F.B.); (C.L.)
| | - Florinda Ferreri
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padua, 35122 Padua, Italy; (A.G.); (F.B.); (C.L.)
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Kuopio University Hospital, University of Eastern Finland, 70210 Kuopio, Finland
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21
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Gomez IN, Ormiston K, Greenhouse I. Response preparation involves a release of intracortical inhibition in task-irrelevant muscles. J Neurophysiol 2020; 125:523-532. [PMID: 33356901 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00390.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Action preparation involves widespread modulation of motor system excitability, but the precise mechanisms are unknown. In this study, we investigated whether intracortical inhibition changes in task-irrelevant muscle representations during action preparation. We used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) combined with electromyography in healthy human adults to measure motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) and cortical silent periods (CSPs) in task-irrelevant muscles during the preparatory period of simple delayed response tasks. In experiment 1, participants responded with the left index finger in one task condition and the right index finger in another task condition, whereas MEPs and CSPs were measured from the contralateral nonresponding and tonically contracted index finger. During experiment 2, participants responded with the right pinky finger whereas MEPs and CSPs were measured from the tonically contracted left index finger. In both experiments, MEPs and CSPs were compared between the task preparatory period and a resting intertrial baseline. The CSP duration during response preparation decreased from baseline in every case. A laterality difference was also observed in experiment 1, with a greater CSP reduction during the preparation of left finger responses compared to right finger responses. Despite reductions in CSP duration, consistent with a release of intracortical inhibition, MEP amplitudes were smaller during action preparation when accounting for background levels of muscle activity, consistent with earlier studies that reported decreased corticospinal excitability. These findings indicate that intracortical inhibition associated with task-irrelevant muscles is transiently released during action preparation and implicate a novel mechanism for the controlled and coordinated release of motor cortex inhibition.NEW & NOTEWORTHY In this study, we observed the first evidence of a release of intracortical inhibition in task-irrelevant muscle representations during response preparation. We applied transcranial magnetic stimulation to elicit cortical silent periods in task-irrelevant muscles during response preparation, and observed a consistent decrease in the silent period duration relative to a resting baseline. These findings address the question of whether cortical mechanisms underlie widespread modulation in motor excitability during response preparation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac N Gomez
- Department of Human Physiology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
| | - Kara Ormiston
- Department of Human Physiology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
| | - Ian Greenhouse
- Department of Human Physiology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
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22
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Nguyen AT, Jacobs LA, Tresilian JR, Lipp OV, Marinovic W. Preparatory suppression and facilitation of voluntary and involuntary responses to loud acoustic stimuli in an anticipatory timing task. Psychophysiology 2020; 58:e13730. [PMID: 33244760 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we sought to characterize the effects of intense sensory stimulation on voluntary and involuntary behaviors at different stages of preparation for an anticipated action. We presented unexpected loud acoustic stimuli (LAS) at-rest and at three critical times during active movement preparation (-1,192, -392, and 0 ms relative to expected voluntary movement onset) to probe the state of the nervous system, and measured their effect on voluntary and involuntary motor actions (finger-press and eye-blink startle reflex, respectively). Voluntary responses were facilitated by LAS presented during active preparation, leading to earlier and more forceful responses compared to control and LAS at-rest. Notably, voluntary responses were significantly facilitated on trials where the LAS was presented early during preparation (-1,192 ms). Eye-blink reflexes to the LAS at -392 ms were significantly reduced and delayed compared to blinks elicited at other time-points, indicating suppression of sub-cortical excitability. However, voluntary responses on these trials were still facilitated by the LAS. The results provide insight into the mechanisms involved in preparing anticipatory actions. Induced activation can persist in the nervous system and can modulate subsequent actions for a longer time-period than previously thought, highlighting that movement preparation is a continuously evolving process that is susceptible to external influence throughout the preparation period. Suppression of sub-cortical excitability shortly before movement onset is consistent with previous work showing corticospinal suppression which may be a necessary step before the execution of any voluntary response.
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Affiliation(s)
- An T Nguyen
- School of Psychology, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Le-Anne Jacobs
- School of Psychology, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | | | - Ottmar V Lipp
- School of Psychology, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
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23
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De Doncker W, Brown KE, Kuppuswamy A. Influence of post-stroke fatigue on reaction times and corticospinal excitability during movement preparation. Clin Neurophysiol 2020; 132:191-199. [PMID: 33302061 PMCID: PMC7810236 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2020.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Higher the fatigue, lesser the inhibition in movement preparation in stroke survivors. Higher the fatigue, lesser the pre-movement facilitation and slower the reaction times. Poor excitability modulation supports sensory attenuation model of fatigue.
Objectives Reduced corticospinal excitability at rest is associated with post-stroke fatigue (PSF). However, it is not known if corticospinal excitability prior to a movement is also altered in fatigue which may then influence subsequent behaviour. We hypothesized that the levels of PSF can be explained by differences in modulation of corticospinal excitability during movement preparation. Methods 73 stroke survivors performed an auditory reaction time task. Corticospinal excitability was measured using transcranial magnetic stimulation. Fatigue was quantified using the fatigue severity scale. The effect of time and fatigue on corticospinal excitability and reaction time was analysed using a mixed effects model. Results Those with greater levels of PSF showed reduced suppression of corticospinal excitability during movement preparation and increased facilitation immediately prior to movement onset (β = −0.0066, t = −2.22, p = 0.0263). Greater the fatigue, slower the reaction times the closer the stimulation time to movement onset (β = 0.0024, t = 2.47, p = 0.0159). Conclusions Lack of pre-movement modulation of corticospinal excitability in high fatigue may indicate poor sensory processing supporting the sensory attenuation model of fatigue. Significance We take a systems-based approach and investigate the motor system and its role in pathological fatigue allowing us to move towards gaining a mechanistic understanding of chronic pathological fatigue.
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Affiliation(s)
- William De Doncker
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neuroscience, Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK.
| | - Katlyn E Brown
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neuroscience, Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK; University of Waterloo, Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Annapoorna Kuppuswamy
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neuroscience, Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK
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24
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Rawji V, Latorre A, Sharma N, Rothwell JC, Rocchi L. On the Use of TMS to Investigate the Pathophysiology of Neurodegenerative Diseases. Front Neurol 2020; 11:584664. [PMID: 33224098 PMCID: PMC7669623 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.584664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are a collection of disorders that result in the progressive degeneration and death of neurons. They are clinically heterogenous and can present as deficits in movement, cognition, executive function, memory, visuospatial awareness and language. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation tool that allows for the assessment of cortical function in vivo. We review how TMS has been used for the investigation of three neurodegenerative diseases that differ in their neuroanatomical axes: (1) Motor cortex-corticospinal tract (motor neuron diseases), (2) Non-motor cortical areas (dementias), and (3) Subcortical structures (parkinsonisms). We also make four recommendations that we hope will benefit the use of TMS in neurodegenerative diseases. Firstly, TMS has traditionally been limited by the lack of an objective output and so has been confined to stimulation of the motor cortex; this limitation can be overcome by the use of concurrent neuroimaging methods such as EEG. Given that neurodegenerative diseases progress over time, TMS measures should aim to track longitudinal changes, especially when the aim of the study is to look at disease progression and symptomatology. The lack of gold-standard diagnostic confirmation undermines the validity of findings in clinical populations. Consequently, diagnostic certainty should be maximized through a variety of methods including multiple, independent clinical assessments, imaging and fluids biomarkers, and post-mortem pathological confirmation where possible. There is great interest in understanding the mechanisms by which symptoms arise in neurodegenerative disorders. However, TMS assessments in patients are usually carried out during resting conditions, when the brain network engaged during these symptoms is not expressed. Rather, a context-appropriate form of TMS would be more suitable in probing the physiology driving clinical symptoms. In all, we hope that the recommendations made here will help to further understand the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Lorenzo Rocchi
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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25
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Grandjean J, Duque J. A TMS study of preparatory suppression in binge drinkers. Neuroimage Clin 2020; 28:102383. [PMID: 32828028 PMCID: PMC7451449 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Binge drinking consists in a pattern of consumption characterised by the repeated alternation between massive alcohol intakes and abstinence periods. A continuum hypothesis suggests that this drinking endeavour represents an early stage of alcohol dependence rather than a separate phenomenon. Among the variety of alterations in alcohol-dependent individuals (ADIs), one has to do with the motor system, which does not show a normal pattern of activity during action preparation. In healthy controls (HCs), motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) elicited by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over primary motor cortex (M1) show both facilitation and suppression effects, depending on the time and setting of TMS during action preparation. A recent study focusing on the suppression component revealed that this aspect of preparatory activity is abnormally weak in ADIs and that this defect scales with the risk of relapse. In the present study, we tested whether binge drinkers (BDs) present a similar deficit. To do so, we recorded MEPs in a set of hand muscles applying TMS in 20 BDs and in 20 matched HCs while they were preparing index finger responses in an instructed-delay choice reaction time task. Consistent with past research, the MEP data in HCs revealed a strong MEP suppression in this task. This effect was evident in all hand muscles, regardless of whether they were relevant or irrelevant in the task. BDs also showed some preparatory suppression, yet this effect was less consistent, especially in the prime mover of the responding hand. These findings suggest abnormal preparatory activity in BDs, similar to alcohol-dependent patients, though some of the current results also raise new questions regarding the significance of these observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Grandjean
- CoActions Lab, Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Julie Duque
- CoActions Lab, Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
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Advanced TMS approaches to probe corticospinal excitability during action preparation. Neuroimage 2020; 213:116746. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
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Ibáñez J, Spampinato DA, Paraneetharan V, Rothwell JC. SICI during changing brain states: Differences in methodology can lead to different conclusions. Brain Stimul 2020; 13:353-356. [PMID: 31711879 PMCID: PMC7790761 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2019.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Short-latency intracortical inhibition (SICI) is extensively used to probe GABAergic inhibitory mechanisms in M1. Task-related changes in SICI are presumed to reflect changes in the central excitability of GABAergic pathways. Usually, the level of SICI is evaluated using a single intensity of conditioning stimulus so that inhibition can be compared in different brain states. OBJECTIVE Here, we show that this approach may sometimes be inadequate since distinct conclusions can be drawn if a different CS intensity is used. METHODS We measured SICI using a range of CS intensities at rest and during a warned simple reaction time task. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that SICI changes that occurred during the task could be either larger or smaller than at rest depending on the intensity of the CS. These findings indicate that careful interpretation of results are needed when a single intensity of CS is used to measure task-related physiological changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime Ibáñez
- Department for Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, Institute of Neurology, University College London, United Kingdom; Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Danny A Spampinato
- Department for Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, Institute of Neurology, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Varshini Paraneetharan
- Department for Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, Institute of Neurology, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - John C Rothwell
- Department for Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, Institute of Neurology, University College London, United Kingdom
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