Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Lateralization01:28

Lateralization

631
Brain lateralization refers to the division of mental processes and functions between the two hemispheres of the brain, a phenomenon that optimizes neural efficiency and underpins complex abilities in humans. This specialization allows each hemisphere to perform tasks where it has a comparative advantage, facilitating more refined cognitive capabilities across different domains.
631
Propagation of Action Potentials01:23

Propagation of Action Potentials

7.4K
The propagation of an action potential refers to the process by which a nerve impulse, or "action potential," travels along a neuron.
Neurons (nerve cells) have a resting membrane potential, with a slightly negative charge inside compared to outside. This is maintained by ion channels, such as sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) channels, which control the flow of ions. When a stimulus, like a touch or a signal from another neuron, triggers the neuron, sodium channels open, allowing sodium ions to...
7.4K
Fixed Action Patterns01:06

Fixed Action Patterns

16.6K
A fixed action pattern (FAP) is a specific, hard-wired sequence of behaviors that occurs in response to an external stimulus, called a sign stimulus. The behavior is “fixed” because it is essentially unchangeable—proceeding similarly across individuals of a species every time it occurs.
16.6K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The macaque ventral intraparietal functional connectivity patterns reveal an anterio-posterior specialization mirroring that described in human ventral intraparietal area.

Imaging neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.)·2025
Same author

Motor imagery enhances performance beyond the imagined action.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025
Same author

The role of kinesthetic and visuospatial cues in pain-related movement avoidance.

Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance·2025
Same author

Rescaling perceptual hand maps by visual-tactile recalibration.

The European journal of neuroscience·2024
Same author

Variance (un)explained: Experimental conditions and temporal dependencies explain similarly small proportions of reaction time variability in linear models of perceptual and cognitive tasks.

Journal of experimental psychology. General·2024
Same author

Handedness and effector strength modulate a compatibility effect between stimulus size and response position with manual and vocal responses.

Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 13, 2025

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation
12:33

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation

Published on: December 31, 2013

9.1K

Repetition effects in action planning reflect effector- but not hemisphere-specific coding.

Christian Seegelke1,2,3,4, Carolin Schonard1, Tobias Heed1,2,3,4

  • 1Biopsychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Sport Sciences, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.

Journal of Neurophysiology
|November 17, 2021
PubMed
Summary

Action planning involves effector-specific processing. Using the same limb for successive actions speeds up response times, confirming that repetition effects are limb-specific, not hemisphere-specific.

Keywords:
action selectioneffector specificitylimb choicemotor planningrepetition effects

More Related Videos

Intracortical Inhibition Within the Primary Motor Cortex Can Be Modulated by Changing the Focus of Attention
09:48

Intracortical Inhibition Within the Primary Motor Cortex Can Be Modulated by Changing the Focus of Attention

Published on: September 11, 2017

10.1K
Evaluation of Hemisphere Lateralization with Bilateral Local Field Potential Recording in Secondary Motor Cortex of Mice
07:03

Evaluation of Hemisphere Lateralization with Bilateral Local Field Potential Recording in Secondary Motor Cortex of Mice

Published on: July 31, 2019

6.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 13, 2025

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation
12:33

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation

Published on: December 31, 2013

9.1K
Intracortical Inhibition Within the Primary Motor Cortex Can Be Modulated by Changing the Focus of Attention
09:48

Intracortical Inhibition Within the Primary Motor Cortex Can Be Modulated by Changing the Focus of Attention

Published on: September 11, 2017

10.1K
Evaluation of Hemisphere Lateralization with Bilateral Local Field Potential Recording in Secondary Motor Cortex of Mice
07:03

Evaluation of Hemisphere Lateralization with Bilateral Local Field Potential Recording in Secondary Motor Cortex of Mice

Published on: July 31, 2019

6.9K

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Motor Control
  • Human Movement Science

Background:

  • Action planning is influenced by recent and future action states.
  • Repetition effects, such as faster response times (RTs) with repeated hand use, suggest effector-specific processing.
  • However, the role of hemisphere-specific processing versus effector-specific processing remains debated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To dissociate effector-specific from hemisphere-specific repetition effects in action planning.
  • To investigate whether using the same limb or the same hemisphere influences action initiation speed.

Main Methods:

  • Participants performed sequential movements using hands and feet.
  • Movement directions were specified using egocentric or allocentric reference frames.
  • Response times for initiating the second action were measured.

Main Results:

  • Successive actions were initiated faster when the same limb executed both movements.
  • This 'same-limb advantage' persisted regardless of movement direction (egocentric or allocentric).
  • No advantage was observed when using different limbs controlled by the same hemisphere (e.g., left foot-left hand).

Conclusions:

  • Repetition effects in action planning are genuinely effector-specific.
  • Neural populations encoding effector-specific action plans exhibit persistent changes.
  • Findings support a model where action planning involves distinct neural representations for different limbs.