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Updated: May 7, 2026
12:33
Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation
Published on: December 31, 2013
Corticospinal modulation induced by sounds depends on action preparedness
Welber Marinovic1, James R Tresilian, Aymar de Rugy
1W. Marinovic: School of Psychology, McElwain Building, St Lucia 4072, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. w.marinovic@uq.edu.au.
The Journal of Physiology
|October 2, 2013
Summary
Loud acoustic stimuli (LAS) can trigger actions early. This study reveals that auditory stimuli modulate motor cortex excitability, influencing action release based on preparation timing.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Motor Control
- Auditory Processing
Background:
- Loud acoustic stimuli (LAS) can trigger early action release during movement preparation.
- Previous research suggested the motor cortex might play a limited role due to potential inhibitory effects of loud sounds on its excitability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of the motor cortex in the early release of prepared actions induced by LAS.
- To examine how corticospinal excitability changes following LAS presentation during anticipatory action preparation.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing transcranial magnetic and electric stimulation to elicit motor-evoked potentials.
- Measuring changes in corticospinal excitability after LAS presentation during different phases of movement preparation.
Main Results:
- Corticospinal excitability changes post-LAS are not fixed, varying with action readiness.
- Auditory stimuli induced inhibition in early preparation and facilitation near movement onset.
- Auditory stimuli were shown to regulate intracortical excitability, increasing facilitation and decreasing inhibition.
Conclusions:
- The early release of motor responses by auditory stimuli involves modulation of the motor cortex.
- Auditory stimuli dynamically regulate corticospinal excitability based on the temporal demands of action preparation.
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