Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of modulatory mechanisms on spinal and supraspinal responses triggered by changes in the cognitive state. Simultaneous nociceptive withdrawal reflex (NWR) and somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) in response to electrical stimuli were acquired during two attentional tasks: attention to the stimuli vs. attention to a cognitive task (modified Stroop test). Single-trial SEP peaks (N1, N2 and P2) and NWR root-mean-squared (NWR RMS) were obtained for both experimental conditions. The present results showed larger N1 (p<0.007), lower P2 (p<0.001) and larger NWR RMS (p<0.001) during the Stroop task compared to when the subjects paid attention to the stimulus. This mechanism could be thought as a protective system that increases the responsiveness of the NWR, in order to react under the minimum risk of tissue damage when the brain is distracted by demanding cognitive tasks. The present methodology could be potentially used for assessment of motor learning.
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