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Age-related Differences in Corticomotor Excitability and Inhibitory Processes during a Visuomotor RT Task
Citation
Fujiyama, H and Hinder, MR and Schmidt, MW and Tandonnet, C and Garry, MI and Summers, JJ, Age-related Differences in Corticomotor Excitability and Inhibitory Processes during a Visuomotor RT Task, Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 24, (5) pp. 1253-1263. ISSN 0898-929X (2012) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
Copyright 2012 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
This study tested the postulation that change in the ability
to modulate corticospinal excitability and inhibitory processes
underlie age-related differences in response preparation and
generation during tasks requiring either rapid execution of a
motor action or actively withholding that same action. Younger
(n = 13, mean age = 26.0 years) and older adults (n = 13, mean
age = 65.5 years) performed an RT task in which a warning signal
(WS) was followed by an imperative signal (IS) to which participants
were required to respond with a rapid flexion of the right
thumb (go condition) or withhold their response (no-go condition).
We explored the neural correlates of response preparation,
generation, and inhibition using single- and paired-pulse TMS,
which was administered at various times between WS and IS
(response preparation phase) and between IS and onset of
response-related muscle activity in the right thumb (response
generation phase). Both groups exhibited increases in motorevoked
potential amplitudes (relative to WS onset) during response
generation; however, this increase began earlier and
was more pronounced for the younger adults in the go condition.
Moreover, younger adults showed a general decrease in shortinterval
intracortical inhibition during response preparation in
both the go and no-go conditions, which was not observed in
older adults. Importantly, correlation analysis suggested that for
older adults the task-related increases of corticospinal excitability
and intracortical inhibition were associated with faster RT. We
propose that the declined ability to functionally modulate corticospinal
activity with advancing age may underlie response slowing
in older adults.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
---|---|
Keywords: | Aging, reaction time, sensorimotor, transcranial magnetic stimulation |
Research Division: | Psychology |
Research Group: | Applied and developmental psychology |
Research Field: | Psychology of ageing |
Objective Division: | Health |
Objective Group: | Specific population health (excl. Indigenous health) |
Objective Field: | Health related to ageing |
UTAS Author: | Fujiyama, H (Dr Hakuei Fujiyama) |
UTAS Author: | Hinder, MR (Associate Professor Mark Hinder) |
UTAS Author: | Schmidt, MW (Mr Matthew Schmidt) |
UTAS Author: | Garry, MI (Associate Professor Michael Garry) |
UTAS Author: | Summers, JJ (Professor Jeffery Summers) |
ID Code: | 77431 |
Year Published: | 2012 |
Funding Support: | Australian Research Council (DP1094440) |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 45 |
Deposited By: | Psychology |
Deposited On: | 2012-04-13 |
Last Modified: | 2017-11-05 |
Downloads: | 5 View Download Statistics |
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