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Wilhelm E, Derosiere G, Quoilin C, Cakiroglu I, Paço S, Raftopoulos C, Nuttin B, Duque J. Subthalamic DBS does not restore deficits in corticospinal suppression during movement preparation in Parkinson's disease. Clin Neurophysiol 2024; 165:107-116. [PMID: 38996612 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2024.06.002] [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] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Parkinson's disease (PD) patients exhibit changes in mechanisms underlying movement preparation, particularly the suppression of corticospinal excitability - termed "preparatory suppression" - which is thought to facilitate movement execution in healthy individuals. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) being an attractive treatment for advanced PD, we aimed to study the potential contribution of this nucleus to PD-related changes in such corticospinal dynamics. METHODS On two consecutive days, we applied single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation to the primary motor cortex of 20 advanced PD patients treated with bilateral STN-DBS (ON vs. OFF), as well as 20 healthy control subjects. Motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) were elicited at rest or during movement preparation in an instructed-delay choice reaction time task including left- or right-hand responses. Preparatory suppression was assessed by expressing MEPs during movement preparation relative to rest. RESULTS PD patients exhibited a deficit in preparatory suppression when it was probed on the responding hand side, particularly when this corresponded to their most-affected hand, regardless of their STN-DBS status. CONCLUSIONS Advanced PD patients displayed a reduction in preparatory suppression which was not restored by STN-DBS. SIGNIFICANCE The current findings confirm that PD patients lack preparatory suppression, as previously reported. Yet, the fact that this deficit was not responsive to STN-DBS calls for future studies on the neural source of this regulatory mechanism during movement preparation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle Wilhelm
- Institute of Neuroscience, Catholic University of Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium; Department of Adult Neurology, Saint-Luc University Hospital, 1200 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Gerard Derosiere
- Institute of Neuroscience, Catholic University of Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Caroline Quoilin
- Institute of Neuroscience, Catholic University of Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Inci Cakiroglu
- Institute of Neuroscience, Catholic University of Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Susana Paço
- NOVA IMS, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 1070-312 Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | - Bart Nuttin
- Department of Neurosurgery, UZ Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Julie Duque
- Institute of Neuroscience, Catholic University of Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
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Bundt C, Huster RJ. Corticospinal excitability reductions during action preparation and action stopping in humans: Different sides of the same inhibitory coin? Neuropsychologia 2024; 195:108799. [PMID: 38218313 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2024.108799] [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] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
Motor functions and cognitive processes are closely associated with each other. In humans, this linkage is reflected in motor system state changes both when an action must be prepared and stopped. Single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation showed that both action preparation and action stopping are accompanied by a reduction of corticospinal excitability, referred to as preparatory and response inhibition, respectively. While previous efforts have been made to describe both phenomena extensively, an updated and comprehensive comparison of the two phenomena is lacking. To ameliorate such deficit, this review focuses on the role and interpretation of single-coil (single-pulse and paired-pulse) and dual-coil TMS outcome measures during action preparation and action stopping in humans. To that effect, it aims to identify commonalities and differences, detailing how TMS-based outcome measures are affected by states, traits, and psychopathologies in both processes. Eventually, findings will be compared, and open questions will be addressed to aid future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten Bundt
- Multimodal Imaging and Cognitive Control Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience Cluster, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - René J Huster
- Multimodal Imaging and Cognitive Control Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience Cluster, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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Vassiliadis P, Stiennon E, Windel F, Wessel MJ, Beanato E, Hummel FC. Safety, tolerability and blinding efficiency of non-invasive deep transcranial temporal interference stimulation: first experience from more than 250 sessions. J Neural Eng 2024; 21:024001. [PMID: 38408385 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ad2d32] [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] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Objective. Selective neuromodulation of deep brain regions has for a long time only been possible through invasive approaches, because of the steep depth-focality trade-off of conventional non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques.Approach. An approach that has recently emerged for deep NIBS in humans is transcranial Temporal Interference Stimulation (tTIS). However, a crucial aspect for its potential wide use is to ensure that it is tolerable, compatible with efficient blinding and safe.Main results. Here, we show the favorable tolerability and safety profiles and the robust blinding efficiency of deep tTIS targeting the striatum or hippocampus by leveraging a large dataset (119 participants, 257 sessions), including young and older adults and patients with traumatic brain injury. tTIS-evoked sensations were generally rated as 'mild', were equivalent in active and placebo tTIS conditions and did not enable participants to discern stimulation type.Significance. Overall, tTIS emerges as a promising tool for deep NIBS for robust double-blind, placebo-controlled designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Vassiliadis
- Defitech Chair of Clinical Neuroengineering, Neuro-X Institute (INX), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
- Defitech Chair of Clinical Neuroengineering, INX, EPFL Valais, Clinique Romande de Réadaptation, 1951 Sion, Switzerland
| | - Emma Stiennon
- Louvain School of Engineering, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Fabienne Windel
- Defitech Chair of Clinical Neuroengineering, Neuro-X Institute (INX), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
- Defitech Chair of Clinical Neuroengineering, INX, EPFL Valais, Clinique Romande de Réadaptation, 1951 Sion, Switzerland
| | | | - Elena Beanato
- Defitech Chair of Clinical Neuroengineering, Neuro-X Institute (INX), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
- Defitech Chair of Clinical Neuroengineering, INX, EPFL Valais, Clinique Romande de Réadaptation, 1951 Sion, Switzerland
| | - Friedhelm C Hummel
- Defitech Chair of Clinical Neuroengineering, Neuro-X Institute (INX), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
- Defitech Chair of Clinical Neuroengineering, INX, EPFL Valais, Clinique Romande de Réadaptation, 1951 Sion, Switzerland
- Clinical Neuroscience, University of Geneva Medical School, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
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Hamel R, Waltzing BM, Hinder MR, McAllister CJ, Jenkinson N, Galea JM. Bilateral intracortical inhibition during unilateral motor preparation and sequence learning. Brain Stimul 2024; 17:349-361. [PMID: 38479713 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2024.03.009] [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] [Received: 10/21/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Motor sequence learning gradually quickens reaction time, suggesting that sequence learning alters motor preparation processes. Interestingly, evidence has shown that preparing sequence movements decreases short intracortical inhibition (SICI) in the contralateral motor cortex (M1), but also that sequence learning alters motor preparation processes in both the contralateral and ipsilateral M1s. Therefore, one possibility is that sequence learning alters the SICI decreases occurring during motor preparation in bilateral M1s. To examine this, two novel hypotheses were tested: unilateral sequence preparation would decrease SICI in bilateral M1s, and sequence learning would alter such bilateral SICI responses. Paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation was delivered over the contralateral and ipsilateral M1s to assess SICI in an index finger muscle during the preparation of sequences initiated by either the right index or little finger. In the absence of sequence learning, SICI decreased in both the contralateral and ipsilateral M1s during the preparation of sequences initiated by the right index finger, suggesting that SICI decreases in bilateral M1s during unilateral motor preparation. As sequence learning progressed, SICI decreased in the contralateral M1 whilst it increased in the ipsilateral M1. Moreover, these bilateral SICI responses were observed at the onset of motor preparation, suggesting that sequence learning altered baseline SICI levels rather than the SICI decreases occurring during motor preparation per se. Altogether, these results suggest that SICI responses in bilateral M1s reflect two motor processes: an acute decrease of inhibition during motor preparation, and a cooperative but bidirectional shift of baseline inhibition levels as sequence learning progresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Hamel
- School of Sports, Exercise, and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom; School of Psychology and Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom.
| | - B M Waltzing
- School of Sports, Exercise, and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom; Institute of Neurosciences, UC Louvain, Belgium Avenue Mounier 54, 1200, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - M R Hinder
- School of Psychological Sciences, College of Health and Medicine After School of Psychological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | - C J McAllister
- School of Sports, Exercise, and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - N Jenkinson
- School of Sports, Exercise, and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - J M Galea
- School of Psychology and Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
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Quoilin C, Chaise F, Duque J, de Timary P. Relationship between transcranial magnetic stimulation markers of motor control and clinical recovery in obsessive compulsive disorder/Gilles de la Tourette syndrome: a proof of concept case study. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1307344. [PMID: 38304284 PMCID: PMC10832049 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1307344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) are neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by difficulties in controlling intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and undesired actions (tics), respectively. Both conditions have been associated with abnormal inhibition but a tangible deficit of inhibitory control abilities is controversial in GTS. Methods Here, we examined a 25 years-old male patient with severe OCD symptoms and a mild form of GTS, where impairments in motor control were central. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was applied over the primary motor cortex (M1) to elicit motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) during four experimental sessions, allowing us to assess the excitability of motor intracortical circuitry at rest as well as the degree of MEP suppression during action preparation, a phenomenon thought to regulate movement initiation. Results When tested for the first time, the patient presented a decent level of MEP suppression during action preparation, but he exhibited a lack of intracortical inhibition at rest, as evidenced by reduced short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) and long-interval intracortical inhibition (LICI). Interestingly, the patient's symptomatology drastically improved over the course of the sessions (reduced obsessions and tics), coinciding with feedback given on his good motor control abilities. These changes were reflected in the TMS measurements, with a significant strengthening of intracortical inhibition (SICI and LICI more pronounced than previously) and a more selective tuning of MEPs during action preparation; MEPs became even more suppressed, or selectively facilitated depending on the behavioral condition in which they we probed. Conclusion This study highlights the importance of better understanding motor inhibitory mechanisms in neurodevelopmental disorders and suggests a biofeedback approach as a potential novel treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Quoilin
- CoActions Lab, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Fostine Chaise
- CoActions Lab, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Julie Duque
- CoActions Lab, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Philippe de Timary
- CoActions Lab, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Adult Psychiatry, Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium
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Neige C, Vassiliadis P, Ali Zazou A, Dricot L, Lebon F, Brees T, Derosiere G. Connecting the dots: harnessing dual-site transcranial magnetic stimulation to quantify the causal influence of medial frontal areas on the motor cortex. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:11339-11353. [PMID: 37804253 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Dual-site transcranial magnetic stimulation has been widely employed to investigate the influence of cortical structures on the primary motor cortex. Here, we leveraged this technique to probe the causal influence of two key areas of the medial frontal cortex, namely the supplementary motor area and the medial orbitofrontal cortex, on primary motor cortex. We show that supplementary motor area stimulation facilitates primary motor cortex activity across short (6 and 8 ms) and long (12 ms) inter-stimulation intervals, putatively recruiting cortico-cortical and cortico-subcortico-cortical circuits, respectively. Crucially, magnetic resonance imaging revealed that this facilitatory effect depended on a key morphometric feature of supplementary motor area: individuals with larger supplementary motor area volumes exhibited more facilitation from supplementary motor area to primary motor cortex for both short and long inter-stimulation intervals. Notably, we also provide evidence that the facilitatory effect of supplementary motor area stimulation at short intervals is unlikely to arise from spinal interactions of volleys descending simultaneously from supplementary motor area and primary motor cortex. On the other hand, medial orbitofrontal cortex stimulation moderately suppressed primary motor cortex activity at both short and long intervals, irrespective of medial orbitofrontal cortex volume. These results suggest that dual-site transcranial magnetic stimulation is a fruitful approach to investigate the differential influence of supplementary motor area and medial orbitofrontal cortex on primary motor cortex activity, paving the way for the multimodal assessment of these fronto-motor circuits in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécilia Neige
- Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, INSERM UMR1093-CAPS, UFR des Sciences du Sport, F-21078, Dijon, France
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, PsyR2 Team, F-69500, Bron, France
- Centre Hospitalier le Vinatier, 95 Boulevard Pinel, 300 3969678 Bron Cedex, France
| | - Pierre Vassiliadis
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Avenue E. Mounier 53 & 73, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
- Defitech Chair for Clinical Neuroengineering, Neuro-X Institute (INX) and Brain Mind Institute (BMI), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1202, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Abdelkrim Ali Zazou
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Avenue E. Mounier 53 & 73, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Laurence Dricot
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Avenue E. Mounier 53 & 73, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Florent Lebon
- Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, INSERM UMR1093-CAPS, UFR des Sciences du Sport, F-21078, Dijon, France
| | - Thomas Brees
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Avenue E. Mounier 53 & 73, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Gerard Derosiere
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Avenue E. Mounier 53 & 73, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, Impact Team, F-69500, Bron, France
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Exploring the links between gut microbiota and excitatory and inhibitory brain processes in alcohol use disorder: A TMS study. Neuropharmacology 2023; 225:109384. [PMID: 36567005 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
While the impact of the gut microbiota on brain and behavior is increasingly recognized, human studies examining this question are still scarce. The primary objective of the current study was to explore the potential relationships between the gut microbiota composition, motor cortical excitability at rest and during inhibitory control, as well as behavioral inhibition, in healthy volunteers and in patients suffering from alcohol use disorder. Motor cortical excitability was examined using a range of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) measures probed at rest, including the recruitment curve, short and long intracortical inhibition, and intracortical facilitation within the primary motor cortex. Moreover, TMS was applied during a choice reaction time task to assess changes in motor excitability associated with inhibitory control. Finally, behavioral inhibition was investigated using a neuropsychological task (anti-saccade). Overall, our results highlight several interesting correlations between microbial composition and brain measures. Hence, higher bacterial diversity, as well as higher relative abundances of UGC-002 and Christensenellaceae R-7 group were correlated with stronger changes in motor excitability associated with inhibitory control. Also, higher abundance of Anaerostipes was associated with higher level of corticospinal excitability. Finally, relative abundances of Bifidobacterium and Faecalibacterium were positively related to performance in the neuropsychological task, suggesting that they might have a positive impact on behavioral inhibition. Although correlation is not causation, the present study suggests that excitatory and inhibitory brain processes might be related to gut microbiota composition. This article is part of the Special Issue on 'Microbiome & the Brain: Mechanisms & Maladies'.
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Investigating the role of contextual cues and interhemispheric inhibitory mechanisms in response-selective stopping: a TMS study. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 23:84-99. [PMID: 36385251 PMCID: PMC9925558 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-022-01047-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Response-selective stopping requires cancellation of only one component of a multicomponent action. While research has investigated how delays to the continuing action components ("stopping interference") can be attenuated by way of contextual cues of the specific stopping demands ("foreknowledge"), little is known of the underlying neural mechanisms. Twenty-seven, healthy, young adults undertook a multicomponent stop-signal task. For two thirds of trials, participants responded to an imperative (go) stimulus (IS) with simultaneous button presses using their left and right index fingers. For the remaining one third of trials, the IS was followed by a stop-signal requiring cancellation of only the left, or right, response. To manipulate foreknowledge of stopping demands, a cue preceded the IS that informed participants which hand might be required to stop (proactive) or provided no such information (reactive). Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) assessed corticospinal excitability (CSE) as well as short- and long-interval interhemispheric inhibition (SIHI, LIHI) between the primary motor cortices. Proactive cues reduced, but did not eliminate, stopping interference relative to the reactive condition. Relative to TMS measures at cue onset, decreases in CSE (both hands and both cue conditions) and LIHI (both hands, proactive condition only) were observed during movement preparation. During movement cancellation, LIHI reduction in the continuing hand was greater than that in the stopping hand and greater than LIHI reductions in both hands during execution of multicomponent responses. Our results indicate that foreknowledge attenuates stopping interference and provide evidence for a novel role of LIHI, mediated via prefrontal regions, in facilitating continuing action components.
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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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Derosiere G, Thura D, Cisek P, Duque J. Hasty sensorimotor decisions rely on an overlap of broad and selective changes in motor activity. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001598. [PMID: 35389982 PMCID: PMC9017893 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans and other animals are able to adjust their speed–accuracy trade-off (SAT) at will depending on the urge to act, favoring either cautious or hasty decision policies in different contexts. An emerging view is that SAT regulation relies on influences exerting broad changes on the motor system, tuning its activity up globally when hastiness is at premium. The present study aimed to test this hypothesis. A total of 50 participants performed a task involving choices between left and right index fingers, in which incorrect choices led either to a high or to a low penalty in 2 contexts, inciting them to emphasize either cautious or hasty policies. We applied transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on multiple motor representations, eliciting motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) in 9 finger and leg muscles. MEP amplitudes allowed us to probe activity changes in the corresponding finger and leg representations, while participants were deliberating about which index to choose. Our data indicate that hastiness entails a broad amplification of motor activity, although this amplification was limited to the chosen side. On top of this effect, we identified a local suppression of motor activity, surrounding the chosen index representation. Hence, a decision policy favoring speed over accuracy appears to rely on overlapping processes producing a broad (but not global) amplification and a surround suppression of motor activity. The latter effect may help to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of the chosen representation, as supported by single-trial correlation analyses indicating a stronger differentiation of activity changes in finger representations in the hasty context. Many have argued that the regulation of the speed-accuracy tradeoff relies on an urgency signal, which implements "collapsing decision thresholds" by tuning neural activity in a global manner in decision-related structures. This study indicates that the reality is more subtle, with several aspects of "urgency" being specifically targeted to particular corticospinal populations within the motor system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard Derosiere
- Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- * E-mail:
| | - David Thura
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center–Impact Team, Inserm U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon 1 University, Bron, France
| | - Paul Cisek
- Department of Neuroscience, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Julie Duque
- Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
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11
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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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Augmented tendency to act and altered impulse control in alcohol use disorders. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2021; 31:102738. [PMID: 34198038 PMCID: PMC8255248 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Action preparation relies on the operation of control processes that modulate the excitability of the corticospinal tract. On the one hand, excitatory processes prepare the motor system for the forthcoming response; the stronger these influences, the stronger the tendency to act. On the other hand, inhibitory influences allow to suppress inappropriate actions and, more generally, to ensure some sort of impulse control. Because an impairment in these processes could foster inappropriate drinking behavior, the present study aimed at evaluating the motor correlates of such excitatory and inhibitory influences in non-treatment seeking heavy drinkers (HDs) and inpatients suffering from severe alcohol use disorder (SAUDs). Besides, as cue-elicited craving might further alter these processes, we also assessed the impact of an alcohol-related exposure. To do so, 15 healthy controls (HCs), 15 HDs and 15 SAUDs performed a choice reaction time task after having been immersed in a neutral or an alcohol-related environment, using virtual reality videos. Importantly, single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation was applied over the left and the right primary motor cortex during the task to elicit motor-evoked potentials in a set of hand muscles allowing us to specifically probe the impact of excitatory and inhibitory processes on motor activity. Our data indicate that excitatory influences are particularly high in both HDs and SAUDs, especially in the dominant hand, an effect that was not observed in HCs. By contrast, inhibitory influences were found to be perfectly normal in HDs, while they were lacking in SAUDs. Furthermore, the alcohol-related exposure enhanced the level of self-reported craving, but this effect only arose in HDs and did not significantly alter the strength of excitatory and inhibitory influences. Overall, although these results have to be taken with caution due to the small sample sizes, this study suggests that enhanced excitatory processes characterize both HDs and SAUDs, while weaker inhibitory influences only concern SAUDs. Hence, an abnormally strong tendency to act could represent a common feature of hazardous drinking, leading individuals to excessive alcohol consumption, whereas deficient impulse control would be a hallmark of more severe forms of AUD, potentially due to the chronic neurotoxic effects of alcohol. Finally, although an alcohol-related exposure does not seem to affect excitatory and inhibitory processes at play during action preparation per se, future works should evaluate changes in corticospinal excitability during the preparation of responses specifically targeting alcohol-related cues.
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Vassiliadis P, Derosiere G, Grandjean J, Duque J. Motor training strengthens corticospinal suppression during movement preparation. J Neurophysiol 2020; 124:1656-1666. [DOI: 10.1152/jn.00378.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Movement preparation involves a broad suppression in the excitability of the corticospinal pathway, a phenomenon called preparatory suppression. Here, we show that motor training strengthens preparatory suppression and that this strengthening is associated with faster reaction times. Our findings highlight a key role of preparatory suppression in training-driven behavioral improvements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Vassiliadis
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Gerard Derosiere
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Julien Grandjean
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Julie Duque
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
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Quoilin C, Dricot L, Genon S, de Timary P, Duque J. Neural bases of inhibitory control: Combining transcranial magnetic stimulation and magnetic resonance imaging in alcohol-use disorder patients. Neuroimage 2020; 224:117435. [PMID: 33039622 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Inhibitory control underlies the ability to inhibit inappropriate responses and involves processes that suppress motor excitability. Such motor modulatory effect has been largely described during action preparation but very little is known about the neural circuit responsible for its implementation. Here, we addressed this point by studying the degree to which the extent of preparatory suppression relates to brain morphometry. We investigated this relationship in patients suffering from severe alcohol use disorder (AUD) because this population displays an inconsistent level of preparatory suppression and major structural brain damage, making it a suitable sample to measure such link. To do so, 45 detoxified patients underwent a structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and performed a transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) experiment, in which the degree of preparatory suppression was quantified. Besides, behavioral inhibition and trait impulsivity were evaluated in all participants. Overall, whole-brain analyses revealed that a weaker preparatory suppression was associated with a decrease in cortical thickness of a medial prefrontal cluster, encompassing parts of the anterior cingulate cortex and superior-frontal gyrus. In addition, a negative association was observed between the thickness of the supplementary area (SMA)/pre-SMA and behavioral inhibition abilities. Finally, we did not find any significant correlation between preparatory suppression, behavioral inhibition and trait impulsivity, indicating that they represent different facets of inhibitory control. Altogether, the current study provides important insight on the neural regions underlying preparatory suppression and allows highlighting that the excitability of the motor system represents a valuable read-out of upstream cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Quoilin
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Ave Mounier, 53 - Bte B1.53.04, 1200 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Laurence Dricot
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Ave Mounier, 53 - Bte B1.53.04, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sarah Genon
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain and Behavior (INM-7), Jülich Forschungszentrum, Germany
| | - Philippe de Timary
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Ave Mounier, 53 - Bte B1.53.04, 1200 Brussels, Belgium; Department of adult psychiatry, Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Julie Duque
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Ave Mounier, 53 - Bte B1.53.04, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
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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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Quoilin C, Grandjean J, Duque J. Considering Motor Excitability During Action Preparation in Gambling Disorder: A Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Study. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:639. [PMID: 32695036 PMCID: PMC7339919 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A lack of inhibitory control appears to contribute to the development and maintenance of addictive disorders. Among the mechanisms thought to assist inhibitory control, an increasing focus has been drawn on the so-called preparatory suppression, which refers to the drastic suppression observed in the motor system during action preparation. Interestingly, deficient preparatory suppression has been reported in alcohol use disorders. However, it is currently unknown whether this deficit also concerns behavioral, substance-free, addictions, and thus whether it might represent a vulnerability factor common to both substance and behavioral addictive disorders. To address this question, neural measures of preparatory suppression were obtained in gambling disorder patients (GDPs) and matched healthy control subjects. To do so, single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation was applied over the left and the right motor cortex to elicit motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) in both hands when participants were performing a choice reaction time task. In addition, choice and rapid response impulsivity were evaluated in all participants, using self-report measures and neuropsychological tasks. Consistent with a large body of literature, the MEP data revealed that the activity of the motor system was drastically reduced during action preparation in healthy subjects. Surprisingly, though, a similar MEP suppression was observed in GDPs, indicating that those subjects do not globally suffer from a deficit in preparatory suppression. By contrast, choice impulsivity was higher in GDPs than healthy subjects, and a higher rapid response impulsivity was found in the more severe forms of GD. Altogether, those results demonstrated that although some aspects of inhibitory control are impaired in GDPs, these alterations do not seem to concern preparatory suppression. Yet, the profile of individuals suffering of a GD is very heterogeneous, with only part of them presenting an impulsive disposition, such as in patients with alcohol use disorders. Hence, a lack of preparatory suppression may be only shared by this sub-type of addicts, an interesting issue for future investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Quoilin
- CoActions Lab, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
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Pellegrini M, Zoghi M, Jaberzadeh S. The effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on corticospinal and cortico-cortical excitability and response variability: Conventional versus high-definition montages. Neurosci Res 2020; 166:12-25. [PMID: 32610058 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2020.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Response variability following transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) highlights need for exploring different tDCS electrode montages. Corticospinal excitability (CSE), cortico-cortical excitability and intra-individual variability was compared following conventional and high-definition (HD) anodal (a-tDCS) and cathodal (c-tDCS) tDCS. Fifteen healthy males attended four sessions at-least one-week apart: conventional a-tDCS, conventional c-tDCS, HD-a-tDCS, HD-c-tDCS. TDCS was administered (1 mA, 10-minutes) over primary motor cortex (M1), via 6 × 4 cm active and 7 × 5 cm return electrodes (conventional tDCS) and 4 × 1 ring-electrodes 3.5 cm apart over M1 (HD-tDCS). For CSE, twenty-five single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) peak-to-peak motor evoked potentials (MEP) were recorded at baseline, 0-minutes and 30-minutes post-tDCS. Twenty-five paired-pulse MEPs with 3-millisecond (ms) inter-pulse interval (IPI) and twenty-five at 10 ms assessed short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) and intracortical facilitation (ICF). MEP standardised z-values standard deviations represented intra-individual variability. No significant changes in CSE from baseline were reported for all four interventions. No significant differences were reported in CSE between conventional and HD a-tDCS, but significant differences between conventional and HD c-tDCS 0-minutes post-tDCS. Conventional tDCS significantly reduced intra-individual variability compared to HD-tDCS for a-tDCS (0-minutes) and c-tDCS (30-minutes). No changes were reported for SICI/ICF. These novel findings of increased intra-individual variability following HD-tDCS, at the current stimulus parameters, highlight need for further nuanced research and refinement to optimise the HD-tDCS dosage-response relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Pellegrini
- Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation and Neuroplasticity Laboratory, Department of Physiotherapy, School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Science, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Maryam Zoghi
- Department of Rehabilitation, Nutrition and Sport, School of Allied Health, Discipline of Physiotherapy, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Shapour Jaberzadeh
- Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation and Neuroplasticity Laboratory, Department of Physiotherapy, School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Science, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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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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Tuning the Corticospinal System: How Distributed Brain Circuits Shape Human Actions. Neuroscientist 2020; 26:359-379. [DOI: 10.1177/1073858419896751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Interactive behaviors rely on the operation of several processes allowing the control of actions, including their selection, withholding, and cancellation. The corticospinal system provides a unique route through which multiple brain circuits can exert control over bodily motor acts. In humans, the influence of these modulatory circuits on the corticospinal system can be probed using various transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) protocols. Here, we review neural data from TMS studies at the basis of our current understanding of how diverse pathways—including intra-cortical, trans-cortical, and subcortico-cortical circuits—contribute to action control by tuning the activity of the corticospinal system. Critically, when doing so, we point out important caveats in the field that arise from the fact that these circuits, and their impact on the corticospinal system, have not been considered equivalently for action selection, withholding, and cancellation. This has led to the misleading view that some circuits or regions are specialized in specific control processes and that they produce particular modulatory changes in corticospinal excitability (e.g., generic vs. specific modulation of corticospinal excitability). Hence, we point to the need for more transversal research approaches in the field of action control.
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Derosiere G, Thura D, Cisek P, Duque J. Motor cortex disruption delays motor processes but not deliberation about action choices. J Neurophysiol 2019; 122:1566-1577. [PMID: 31411932 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00163.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Decisions about actions typically involve a period of deliberation that ends with the commitment to a choice and the motor processes overtly expressing that choice. Previous studies have shown that neural activity in sensorimotor areas, including the primary motor cortex (M1), correlates with deliberation features during action selection. However, the causal contribution of these areas to the decision process remains unclear. Here, we investigated whether M1 determines choice commitment or whether it simply reflects decision signals coming from upstream structures and instead mainly contributes to the motor processes that follow commitment. To do so, we tested the impact of a disruption of M1 activity, induced by continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS), on the behavior of human subjects in 1) a simple reaction time (SRT) task allowing us to estimate the duration of the motor processes and 2) a modified version of the tokens task (Cisek P, Puskas GA, El-Murr S. J Neurosci 29: 11560-11571, 2009), which allowed us to estimate subjects' time of commitment as well as accuracy criterion. The efficiency of cTBS was attested by a reduction in motor evoked potential amplitudes following M1 disruption compared with those following a sham stimulation. Furthermore, M1 cTBS lengthened SRTs, indicating that motor processes were perturbed by the intervention. Importantly, all of the behavioral results in the tokens task were similar following M1 disruption and sham stimulation, suggesting that the contribution of M1 to the deliberation process is potentially negligible. Taken together, these findings favor the view that M1 contribution is downstream of the decision process.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Decisions between actions are ubiquitous in the animal realm. Deliberation during action choices entails changes in the activity of the sensorimotor areas controlling those actions, but the causal role of these areas is still often debated. With the use of continuous theta burst stimulation, we show that disrupting the primary motor cortex (M1) delays the motor processes that follow instructed commitment but does not alter volitional deliberation, suggesting that M1 contribution may be downstream of the decision process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard Derosiere
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - David Thura
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center - IMPACT Team, INSERM U1028 - CNRS UMR 5292, Bron, France
| | - Paul Cisek
- Department of Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Julie Duque
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
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Quoilin C, Fievez F, Duque J. Preparatory inhibition: Impact of choice in reaction time tasks. Neuropsychologia 2019; 129:212-222. [PMID: 31015024 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
By applying transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over primary motor cortex (M1) to elicit motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) in muscles of the contralateral hand during reaction time (RT) tasks, many studies have reported a strong global suppression of motor excitability during action preparation, a phenomenon called preparatory inhibition. Several hypotheses have been put forward regarding the role of this broad suppression, with the predominant view that it reflects inhibitory processes assisting action selection. However, this assumption is still a matter of debate. Here, we aimed at directly addressing this idea by comparing MEPs in a task that required subjects to select a finger response within a set of predefined options (choice RT task: left or right index finger abduction) or when subjects simply had to provide the same finger response on every trial, in the absence of choice (simple RT task). Moreover, we minimized any effect that could be associated with other forms of inhibition. In both versions of the task, TMS was applied on both M1 (double-coil protocol) at several time points between the go signal and the left or right index finger response, eliciting MEPs bilaterally in the prime mover (index finger agonist) and in an irrelevant muscle (pinky agonist). Overall, MEP suppression was moderate in this study compared to past research; it was only found for the irrelevant muscle. As such, MEPs in the index agonist were facilitated when elicited in a responding hand (e.g. left MEPs preceding left responses) and remained mostly unchanged in a non-responding hand (e.g. left MEPs preceding right responses). In contrast, MEPs were almost always suppressed in the pinky muscle when elicited in the non-responding hand. This finding contrasts with previous studies where preparatory inhibition usually concerns both relevant and irrelevant muscles. Yet importantly, the suppression was more consistent in the choice than in the simple RT task, supporting the view that preparatory inhibition may assist action selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Quoilin
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium; Laboratory for Experimental Psychopathology, Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
| | - Fanny Fievez
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Julie Duque
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium; Laboratory for Experimental Psychopathology, Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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Investigating the effect of anticipating a startling acoustic stimulus on preparatory inhibition. Neurophysiol Clin 2018; 49:137-147. [PMID: 30528379 DOI: 10.1016/j.neucli.2018.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Revised: 11/25/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) to transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) show a profound suppression when elicited during the instructed-delay of reaction time (RT) tasks. One predominant hypothesis is that this phenomenon, called "preparatory inhibition", reflects the operation of processes that suppress motor activity to withhold prepared (but delayed) responses, a form of impulse control. In addition, a startling acoustic stimulus (SAS) - a loud and narrow sound - can trigger the release of prepared responses in RT tasks. We predicted that, if such premature release is clearly forbidden, then anticipating a SAS during delay periods may be associated with increased preparatory inhibition for greater impulse control. METHODS Subjects performed a behavioural (n=16) and TMS (n=11) experiment. Both used a choice RT task that required subjects to choose a response based on a preparatory cue but to only release it after an imperative signal. SAS and TMS pulses were elicited at the end of the delay period and subjects were asked to do their best to only release their response after the imperative signal, even in the presence of SAS. SAS could be either rare or frequent, in separate blocks. RESULTS Consistent with the literature, SAS shortened RTs, especially when they occurred frequently. Moreover, MEPs were suppressed when subjects delayed prepared responses but this preparatory inhibition did not depend on whether SAS were frequent or rare. DISCUSSION The stronger RT shortening with frequent rather than rare SAS may be due to increased attention and/or reduced reactive inhibition to SAS, leaving preparatory inhibition unaffected.
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Visuomotor Correlates of Conflict Expectation in the Context of Motor Decisions. J Neurosci 2018; 38:9486-9504. [PMID: 30201772 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0623-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 07/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Many behaviors require choosing between conflicting options competing against each other in visuomotor areas. Such choices can benefit from top-down control processes engaging frontal areas in advance of conflict when it is anticipated. Yet, very little is known about how this proactive control system shapes the visuomotor competition. Here, we used electroencephalography in human subjects (male and female) to identify the visual and motor correlates of conflict expectation in a version of the Eriksen Flanker task that required left or right responses according to the direction of a central target arrow surrounded by congruent or incongruent (conflicting) flankers. Visual conflict was either highly expected (it occurred in 80% of trials; mostly incongruent blocks) or very unlikely (20% of trials; mostly congruent blocks). We evaluated selective attention in the visual cortex by recording target- and flanker-related steady-state visual-evoked potentials (SSVEPs) and probed action selection by measuring response-locked potentials (RLPs) in the motor cortex. Conflict expectation enhanced accuracy in incongruent trials, but this improvement occurred at the cost of speed in congruent trials. Intriguingly, this behavioral adjustment occurred while visuomotor activity was less finely tuned: target-related SSVEPs were smaller while flanker-related SSVEPs were higher in mostly incongruent blocks than in mostly congruent blocks, and incongruent trials were associated with larger RLPs in the ipsilateral (nonselected) motor cortex. Hence, our data suggest that conflict expectation recruits control processes that augment the tolerance for inappropriate visuomotor activations (rather than processes that downregulate their amplitude), allowing for overflow activity to occur without having it turn into the selection of an incorrect response.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Motor choices made in front of discordant visual information are more accurate when conflict can be anticipated, probably due to the engagement of top-down control from frontal areas. How this control system modulates activity within visual and motor areas is unknown. Here, we show that, when control processes are recruited in anticipation of conflict, as evidenced by higher midfrontal theta activity, visuomotor activity is less finely tuned: visual processing of the goal-relevant location was reduced and the motor cortex displayed more inappropriate activations, compared with when conflict was unlikely. We argue that conflict expectation is associated with an expansion of the distance-to-selection threshold, improving accuracy while the need for online control of visuomotor activity is reduced.
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Temporal Profile and Limb-specificity of Phasic Pain-Evoked Changes in Motor Excitability. Neuroscience 2018; 386:240-255. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.06.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Revised: 06/20/2018] [Accepted: 06/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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