Effects of preliminary perceptual output on neuronal activity of the primary motor cortex.

Full Abstract

Observations of single neurons in the primary motor cortex of 1 monkey provided evidence that preliminary perceptual information reaches the motor system before perceptual analysis is complete. Neurons were recorded during a task in which 1 stimulus was assigned to a wrist flexion response and another was assigned to wrist extension. Two stimuli were assigned to a no-go response; each was visually similar to either the flexion or the extension stimulus. When a no-go stimulus was presented, neurons responded with weaker versions of the discharge patterns exhibited to the visually similar stimulus requiring a movement, suggesting that neurons receive partial perceptual information favoring that movement. Functionally separable neuronal populations were identified, and differences in the activations of these provide evidence about the functional effects of preliminary perceptual output on movement control processes.

Author information

Author/s: Miller, J (J); Riehle, A (A); Requin, J (J);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0109.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

Journal: Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance (J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform), published in UNITED STATES. (Language: eng)

Reference: 1992-Nov; vol 18 (issue 4) : pp 1121-38

Dates: Created 1992/12/08; Completed 1992/12/08; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 1431748, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

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