Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 6, 2026
05:25
An Experiment Using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and Robot-Assisted Multi-Joint Pointing Movements of the Lower Limb
Published on: June 7, 2024
Reward-related activity in the human motor cortex
Dimitrios Kapogiannis1, Paul Campion, Jordan Grafman
1Brain Stimulation Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, MSC 1440, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-1440, USA.
The European Journal of Neuroscience
|March 29, 2008
Summary
Behavioral contingencies alter human primary motor cortex (M1) activity. Reward expectation and large rewards increased M1 inhibition, suggesting M1
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Motor Control
Background:
- The human primary motor cortex (M1) is crucial for motor learning and response selection.
- These functions depend on feedback, such as reward, to guide behavior.
- Understanding how reward influences M1 activity is key to understanding motor control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if behavioral contingencies, specifically reward, alter human M1 activity.
- To explore the role of reward expectation and magnitude in modulating M1 excitability.
- To determine if M1 activity changes are specific to reward or general attentional effects.
Main Methods:
- Utilized single and paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to measure intracortical inhibition in M1.
- Employed a slot machine simulation with variable monetary rewards, requiring no physical movement.
- Included a control task manipulating attention to rule out non-reward-related effects.
Main Results:
- Increased paired-pulse inhibition in M1 was observed during heightened reward expectation (two-way match).
- Receiving a large reward in a preceding trial amplified this inhibitory effect.
- A control task involving attention to stimuli did not alter M1 excitability, indicating reward specificity.
Conclusions:
- Behavioral contingencies, particularly reward, significantly modulate human M1 activity.
- M1 exhibits altered inhibition patterns related to reward expectation and magnitude.
- TMS of M1 shows potential as a quantitative measure for reward-related neural activity.
Related Concept Videos
01:14Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex
The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.
01:23Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex
The somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobes is crucial for interpreting sensory data such as touch, temperature, and proprioception. The somatosensory cortex, situated in the parietal lobes, plays a vital role in interpreting sensory information like touch, temperature, and proprioception—awareness of body position. This specialized brain region features an organized structure wherein neurons at the top primarily process sensations originating from the lower body. In contrast, those at the...
01:20Motor Unit Stimulation
When the neuron of a motor unit fires an action potential, it triggers a series of events, leading to a twitch contraction in the muscle fibers. The process of excitation-contraction coupling is crucial in relaying the action potential to the muscle fibers.
The latent period of contraction marks the onset of excitation-contraction coupling, when the action potential propagates across the sarcolemma, preparing the muscle fibers for contraction. As the fibers enter the contraction phase, the...
The latent period of contraction marks the onset of excitation-contraction coupling, when the action potential propagates across the sarcolemma, preparing the muscle fibers for contraction. As the fibers enter the contraction phase, the...
01:11Direct Motor Pathways
The direct motor pathways, also known as the pyramidal tracts, are a group of neural pathways that originate in the brain and descend through the spinal cord. They control the voluntary movement of the body. There are two major direct motor pathways: the corticospinal and the corticobulbar tracts.
The corticospinal tract is responsible for the voluntary movement of the limbs and trunk. It originates in the cerebral cortex of the brain and descends through the cerebrum's internal capsule and the...
The corticospinal tract is responsible for the voluntary movement of the limbs and trunk. It originates in the cerebral cortex of the brain and descends through the cerebrum's internal capsule and the...
01:18Hierarchy of Motor Control
The hierarchy of motor control refers to the different levels of organization and processing involved in controlling movement in the body. These levels range from higher cortical areas involved in planning and decision-making to lower spinal cord reflexes that respond automatically to external stimuli.
01:21Association Areas of the Cortex
Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...