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Neural control of voluntary movement initiation
1Department of Psychology, Wilson Hall, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, USA. schalljd@ctrvax.vanderbilt.edu
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|October 18, 1996
Summary
Human reaction times are long due to variable neural activity. This study reveals that stochastic variability in cortical neuron activation rates explains reaction time distributions, linking brain activity to motor behavior.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Motor Control
Background:
- Human reaction times are significantly longer and more variable than neural processing speeds.
- The underlying neural mechanisms driving this reaction time variability remain poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural processes contributing to reaction time duration and variability.
- To evaluate mathematical models explaining reaction time generation in the cerebral cortex.
Main Methods:
- Utilized single-cell recordings in the motor cortex of behaving rhesus monkeys.
- Assessed two distinct mathematical models for neural activity leading to movement initiation.
Main Results:
- Movement initiation was contingent upon neural activity reaching a fixed threshold.
- Variability in the rate of neural activity growth towards this threshold explained reaction time distributions.
Conclusions:
- Identified a direct correlation between stochastic neural activity in the cortex and behavioral reaction times.
- This research provides a neural basis for understanding reaction time variability in motor responses.