Abstract
Human motor response time (RT) is determined by the matureness of the preceding neural motor planning process. In the current study, we characterize the temporal boundaries required for the motor planning process, and its impact on the overall motor RT. In particular, we contrasted short and long planning times by measuring the resulting differences in motor RTs, in an attempt to find whether an optimal planning time for minimal RT exists. Using a “Timed Response” paradigm, we presented participants with varying planning intervals prior to a requested motor response and studied their effect on the timing of initiation of the following movement. We found that, as expected, reaction time shortens as more planning time is provided, yet only until reaching a minimal RT, after which additional planning time increases the motor RT, thus creating a U-shaped behavioral function. Furthermore, since the minimal RT was found to be an individual characteristic, we suggest that there is an individual time window for motor planning.
Highlights
Mechanisms of movement planning are a subject of much interest
We found that when planning time was insufficient, movement onset was delayed, and as the planning interval duration became further extended, movement onset time became shorter
As we generally found that participants started to move earlier after a long planning interval than after a short planning interval, we analyzed that if we had taken the times before the tone into account, we would have had more significant statistical values, as there were more Long planning interval trials that started before the 4th tone than Short planning interval trials (i.e., 359 vs. 64, respectively)
Summary
Mechanisms of movement planning are a subject of much interest. A wide body of evidence exists showing neuronal activity anticipating specific movements before their onset (Li et al, 2015) and providing evidence and models for movement planning (Viviani and McCollum, 1983; Viviani and Schneider, 1991; Viviani and Flash, 1995).In a previous experiment (Dahan and Reiner, 2017), we witnessed an interesting phenomenon: Using a ‘‘timed response’’ paradigm in a virtual-game-like environment, we presented participants with two planning intervals of 25 and 350 ms before motor response was required. A wide body of evidence exists showing neuronal activity anticipating specific movements before their onset (Li et al, 2015) and providing evidence and models for movement planning (Viviani and McCollum, 1983; Viviani and Schneider, 1991; Viviani and Flash, 1995). We found that when planning time was insufficient, movement onset was delayed, and as the planning interval duration became further extended, movement onset time became shorter. We concluded that the shorter onset time was correlated with a maturity of the motor plan. We interpreted that the short time interval was insufficient for the motor plan to mature, and once available time was sufficient, motion onset became faster. We wanted to check what happens when planning time is further extended
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