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Related Concept Videos

Muscle Contraction01:15

Muscle Contraction

Muscle Contraction01:10

Muscle Contraction

In skeletal muscles, acetylcholine is released by nerve terminals at the motor endplate—the point of synaptic communication between motor neurons and muscle fibers. The binding of acetylcholine to its receptors on the sarcolemma allows entry of sodium ions into the cell and triggers an action potential in the muscle cell. Thus, electrical signals from the brain are transmitted to the muscle. Subsequently, the enzyme acetylcholinesterase breaks down acetylcholine to prevent excessive muscle...
Hierarchy of Motor Control01:18

Hierarchy 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.
Major Somatic Sensory Pathways01:28

Major Somatic Sensory Pathways

Sensory impulses related to touch, pressure, vibration, and proprioception from various body parts, such as the limbs, trunk, neck, and posterior head, travel to the cerebral cortex through the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway. The pathway’s name derives from the two white-matter tracts that convey the impulses: the spinal cord's posterior column and the brainstem's medial lemniscus. First-order sensory neurons extend their axons into the spinal cord, forming the posterior columns...
Anatomical Movements00:51

Anatomical Movements

Anatomical movements refer to the various actions or motions that can be performed by the body's joints and muscles. These movements are described using specific terms to provide a standardized way of discussing and understanding the range of motion at different joints.
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Diencephalon: Thalamus and Information Relay01:27

Diencephalon: Thalamus and Information Relay

The thalamus, often called “the gateway to the cerebral cortex,” is vital in processing and directing sensory and motor signals throughout the brain. Almost all inputs destined for the cerebral cortex, except for olfactory signals, are relayed through the thalamus. The thalamus is  a sophisticated relay station, channeling information from various brain regions to the cerebral cortex, as well as a filter, prioritizing certain signals over others based on current physiological states or needs.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 14, 2026

An Emerging Target Paradigm to Evoke Fast Visuomotor Responses on Human Upper Limb Muscles
09:27

An Emerging Target Paradigm to Evoke Fast Visuomotor Responses on Human Upper Limb Muscles

Published on: August 25, 2020

What we think before a voluntary movement.

Logan Schneider1, Elise Houdayer, Ou Bai

  • 1National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-1428, USA.

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
|February 1, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The brain prepares voluntary movements subconsciously, even when your mind is elsewhere. This research used electroencephalography (EEG) to predict movement initiation before conscious awareness, challenging previous assumptions about volition.

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In Vivo Wireless Optogenetic Control of Skilled Motor Behavior
07:52

In Vivo Wireless Optogenetic Control of Skilled Motor Behavior

Published on: November 22, 2021

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Last Updated: May 14, 2026

An Emerging Target Paradigm to Evoke Fast Visuomotor Responses on Human Upper Limb Muscles
09:27

An Emerging Target Paradigm to Evoke Fast Visuomotor Responses on Human Upper Limb Muscles

Published on: August 25, 2020

In Vivo Wireless Optogenetic Control of Skilled Motor Behavior
07:52

In Vivo Wireless Optogenetic Control of Skilled Motor Behavior

Published on: November 22, 2021

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Science
  • Motor Control

Background:

  • The sense of volition is key to voluntary movement, but its precise timing during movement planning and execution remains unclear.
  • Previous research on brain activity preceding volition is often met with skepticism due to subjective timing assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the temporal relationship between brain activity and the subjective sense of volition.
  • To determine if the brain prepares voluntary movements independently of conscious intention.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized an optimized electroencephalography (EEG) signal, incorporating multiple variables, for real-time movement prediction.
  • Achieved low false-positive rates in predicting movement initiation.
  • Collected subjective reports from participants regarding their thoughts during predicted movement preparation.

Main Results:

  • Successfully predicted voluntary movements in real-time, preceding their occurrence.
  • Demonstrated that brain preparation for voluntary movement can occur even when participants are not consciously thinking about moving.
  • EEG signals, including beta event-related desynchronization and movement-related cortical potentials, are linked to motor programming.

Conclusions:

  • The brain actively prepares voluntary movements subconsciously.
  • Conscious awareness of intention may not be a prerequisite for initiating motor preparation.
  • Advanced EEG analysis allows for objective prediction of movement initiation, bypassing subjective reporting limitations.