A startle stimulus has been shown to elicit a ballistic response in reaction time (RT) task at very short latencies without involvement of the cerebral cortex (J. Valls-Solé, J. C. Rothwell, F. Gooulard, G. Cossu, & E. Muñoz, 1999). The present authors examined nature response. simple RT was used which 8 participants performed arm extension movements 3 target distances (20deg;, 40deg;, and 60deg;) blocked design. An unpredictable startling acoustic (124 dB) replaced imperative certain...

The learning advantages of self-controlled feedback schedules compared to yoked have been attributed motivational influences and/or information processing activities with many researchers adopting the perspective in recent years. Chiviacowsky and Wulf (2005) found that decisions made before (Self-Before) or after a trial (Self-After) resulted similar retention performance, but superior transfer performance when decision receive occurred trial. They suggested skill Self-After group likely...

Recent studies using a reaction time (RT) task have reported that preprogrammed response could be triggered directly by startling acoustic stimulus (115–124 dB) presented along with the usual “go” signal. It has been suggested details of upcoming stored subcortically and are accessible startle volley, eliciting correct movement. However, certain muscles (e.g., intrinsic hand) heavily dependent on cortico-motoneuronal connections thus would not subject to subcortical volley in similar way...

The production of movement in a simple reaction time task can be separated into two periods: the foreperiod, which is thought to include preparatory processes, and interval, includes initiation processes. To better understand these transcranial magnetic stimulation has been used probe corticospinal excitability at various points during response preparation initiation. Previous research shown that decreases prior “go” stimulus increases following “go”; however frames have examined...

Coordinated bimanual oscillatory movements often involve one of two intrinsically stable phasing relationships characterized as in-phase (symmetrical) or antiphase (asymmetrical). The mode is typically more than antiphase, and if movement frequency increasing during movements, a spontaneous transition to the pattern occurs. There converging neurophysiological evidence that supplementary motor area (SMA) plays critical role in successful performance these patterns, especially movements. We...

A recent study by Marinovic et al. (J. Neurophysiol., 2013, 109: 996–1008) used a loud acoustic stimulus to probe motor preparation in simple reaction time (RT) task. Based on decreasing RT latency and increases output measures as the approached "go" stimulus, authors concluded that response-related activation increased abruptly 65 ms prior imperative result contrast previous literature. However, this did not measure reflexive startle activity sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle, which has been...

Corticospinal output pathways have typically been considered to be the primary driver for voluntary movements of hand/forearm; however, more recently, reticulospinal drive has also implicated in production these movements. Although both may play a role, tract is thought stronger connections flexor muscles than extensors. Similarly, involuntarily triggered via startling acoustic stimulus (SAS) are believed receive greater reticular input To investigate differential role depending on movement...

A loud acoustic stimulus that elicits a startle reflex has long been used to study the neurophysiology of cortical and subcortical neural circuits. More recent investigations have shown can act as an early trigger for prepared actions, suggesting brainstem role in preparation initiation actions. However, order attribute any startle-triggered voluntary responses activation structures it is necessary measure startle-related activity these structures. The current investigated most effective...

When one or more response dimensions in a choice reaction time (RT) task are provided beforehand (or precued), RT decreases, indicating that the precued part of was prepared advance. In this study, startling acoustic stimulus used to investigate amount preprogramming occurs when is because has been shown directly trigger preprogrammed responses. Participants performed wrist flexion/extension movements four paradigm. A control auditory (82 dB) (124 accompanied visual "go" signal on each...