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The "Motor" in Implicit Motor Sequence Learning: A Foot-stepping Serial Reaction Time Task
Published on: May 3, 2018
Intended actions and unexpected outcomes: automatic and controlled processing in a rapid motor task.
Douglas O Cheyne1, Paul Ferrari, James A Cheyne
1Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute Toronto, ON, Canada.
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
|August 23, 2012
Summary
Cognitive control involves both automatic and controlled processes. This study reveals distinct neural signatures for automatic responses and controlled inhibition during rapid decision-making tasks.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Human Motor Control
Background:
- Human actions blend controlled and automatic behaviors.
- Rapid tasks challenge conscious control, leading to errors or surprising automatic responses.
- Understanding neural mechanisms of cognitive control is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- Identify neural processes distinguishing automatic and controlled aspects of cognitive control.
- Investigate brain activity during rapid manual responses requiring action selection or inhibition.
- Examine neural correlates of automaticity and control in bimanual and unimanual tasks.
Main Methods:
- Measured neuromagnetic brain activity using magnetoencephalography (MEG).
- Subjects performed manual responses to rapidly presented digits in bimanual and unimanual tasks.
- Analyzed beta band (15-30 Hz) and theta band (4-8 Hz) oscillations in motor and frontal cortices.
Main Results:
- Automaticity observed in faster response times for both errors and correct switches.
- Bilateral motor cortex beta suppression indicated automatic preparation for fast correct switches.
- Right frontal theta activity after cue onset suggested controlled inhibition, reduced in automatic trials.
- Larger frontal theta and ERN-like responses on error trials indicated error processing and delayed inhibition.
Conclusions:
- Automatic and controlled processes operate in parallel during rapid motor tasks.
- The interplay between automaticity and control influences task performance and subjective experience.
- Distinct neural dynamics underlie automatic responses versus controlled inhibition.
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