Premotor Activity Research Articles

Hierarchy between forelimb premotor and primary motor cortices and its manifestation in their firing patterns.

Though hierarchy is commonly invoked in descriptions of motor cortical function, its presence and manifestation in firing patterns remain poorly resolved. Here we use optogenetic inactivation to demonstrate that short-latency influence between forelimb premotor and primary motor cortices is asymmetric during reaching in mice, demonstrating a partial hierarchy between the endogenous activity in each region. Multi-region recordings revealed that some activity is captured by similar but delayed patterns where either region's activity leads, with premotor activity leading more. Yet firing in each region is dominated by patterns shared between regions and is equally predictive of firing in the other region at the single-neuron level. In dual-region network models fit to data, regions differed in their dependence on across-region input, rather than the amount of such input they received. Our results indicate that motor cortical hierarchy, while present, may not be exposed when inferring interactions between populations from firing patterns alone.

Cycle-frequency content EEG analysis improves the assessment of respiratory-related cortical activity

Objective. Time-frequency (T-F) analysis of electroencephalographic (EEG) is a common technique to characterise spectral changes in neural activity. This study explores the limitations of utilizing conventional spectral techniques in examining cyclic event-related cortical activities due to challenges, including high inter-trial variability.Approach. Introducing the cycle-frequency (C-F) analysis, we aim to enhance the evaluation of cycle-locked respiratory events. For synthetic EEG that mimicked cycle-locked pre-motor activity, C-F had more accurate frequency and time localization compared to conventional T-F analysis, even for a significantly reduced number of trials and a variability of breathing rhythm.Main results. Preliminary validations using real EEG data during both unloaded breathing and loaded breathing (that evokes pre-motor activity) suggest potential benefits of using the C-F method, particularly in normalizing time units to cyclic activity phases and refining baseline placement and duration.Significance. The proposed approach could provide new insights for the study of rhythmic neural activities, complementing T-F analysis.

Activity of nested neural circuits drives different courtship songs in Drosophila

Motor systems implement diverse motor programs to pattern behavioral sequences, yet how different motor actions are controlled on a moment-by-moment basis remains unclear. Here, we investigated the neural circuit mechanisms underlying the control of distinct courtship songs in Drosophila. Courting males rapidly alternate between two types of song: pulse and sine. By recording calcium signals in the ventral nerve cord in singing flies, we found that one neural population is active during both songs, whereas an expanded neural population, which includes neurons from the first population, is active during pulse song. Brain recordings showed that this nested activation pattern is present in two descending pathways required for singing. Connectomic analysis reveals that these two descending pathways provide structured input to ventral nerve cord neurons in a manner consistent with their activation patterns. These results suggest that nested premotor circuit activity, directed by distinct descending signals, enables rapid switching between motor actions.

Understanding effects of observing affordance-driven action during motor imagery through EEG analysis.

The aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of observing affordance-driven action during motor imagery. Affordance-driven action refers to actions that are initiated based on the properties of objects and the possibilities they offer for interaction. Action observation (AO) and motor imagery (MI) are two forms of motor simulation that can influence motor responses. We examined combined AO+MI, where participants simultaneously engaged in AO and MI. Two different kinds of combined AO+MI were employed. Participants imagined and observed the same affordance-driven action during congruent AO+MI, whereas in incongruent AO+MI, participants imagined the actual affordance-driven action while observing a distracting affordance involving the same object. EEG data were analyzed for the N2 component of event-related potential (ERP). Our study found that the N2 ERP became more negative during congruent AO+MI, indicating strong affordance-related activity. The maximum source current density (0.00611 A/mm ) using Low-Resolution Electromagnetic Tomography (LORETA) was observed during congruent AO+MI in brain areas responsible for planning motoric actions. This is consistent with prefrontal cortex and premotor cortex activity for AO+MI reported in the literature. The stronger neural activity observed during congruent AO+MI suggests that affordance-driven actions hold promise for neurorehabilitation.

Effects of Single-Session Practice Structure on Motor Skill Acquisition and Alpha and Beta EEG Oscillations

Background: Although it is known that practicing a motor skill updates the associated internal model, it is still unclear as to how cortical oscillations linked with the motor skill change under differing practice schedules. The current study investigated α- and β-power changes associated with motor skill acquisition. Objectives: Firstly, we investigated the behavioral effects of practice on motor learning and retention during repetitive (RP) and variable (VP) practice schedules on an anticipation timing task. Secondly, we investigated changes in cortical α (10 - 13 Hz) and β (15 - 30 Hz) event-related synchronization and desynchronization (ERS/ERD) under RP and VP during early (EP) and late (LP) stages of practice. Methods: To investigate the behavioral effects of practice on learning and retention, participants were pretested, post-tested at 5 min (retention), and tested twice at 30 min (one for longer retention, one for transfer to a novel velocity). To investigate electroencephalography (EEG) α and β power changes, data were collected from electrode sites T7, T8, C3, C4, CP3, CP4, FCz, AFz, and Pz. Results: Based on a 2 × 4 (practice group × test block) ANOVA, results indicated a significant learning effect for both group participants, with VP participants performing better on the 30-min transfer test. To investigate EEG α and β power changes, data were analyzed using separate, 2 × 2 repeated measures ANOVA (group [RP and VP] × practice trial blocks [EP and LP]). Power analyses revealed (1) attenuated α ERD at T7 (cognitive/verbal rehearsal), C3 (motor cortex), CP3, CP4, and FCz (pooled data representing premotor cortices), and AFz (frontal cortex and attentional processes) during LP, with greater changes observed in premotor activity (PMA), T7, and AFz electrode sites in RP participants. β frequency analysis, using beta modulation depth (BMD), revealed that participants in both groups had increased BMD at premotor, motor, and frontal electrode sites at LP, with RP participants exhibiting greater changes. Conclusions: Results are in accordance with previous research indicating that practicing under a VP schedule leads to superior motor skill transfer than practicing under an RP schedule. Moreover, lesser changes in α ERD along and lower BMD observed in VP participants might be responsible for a more adaptable and flexible motor program, allowing for greater skill retention and transfer in individuals practicing under VP conditions.

Reduced TMS-evoked EEG oscillatory activity in cortical motor regions in patients with post-COVID fatigue

ObjectivePersistent fatigue is a major symptom of the so-called ’long-COVID syndrome’, but the pathophysiological processes that cause it remain unclear.We hypothesized that fatigue after COVID-19 would be associated with altered cortical activity in premotor and motor regions. MethodsWe used transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with EEG (TMS-EEG) to explore the neural oscillatory activity of the left primary motor area (l-M1) and supplementary motor area (SMA) in a group of sixteen post-COVID patients complaining of lingering fatigue as compared to a sample of age-matched healthy controls. Perceived fatigue was assessed with the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and Fatigue Rating Scale (FRS). ResultsPost-COVID patients showed a remarkable reduction of beta frequency in both areas. Correlation analysis exploring linear relation between neurophysiological and clinical measures revealed a significant inverse correlation between the individual level of beta oscillations evoked by TMS of SMA with the individual scores in the FRS (r(15) = -0.596; p = 0.012). ConclusionsPost-COVID fatigue is associated with a reduction of TMS-evoked beta oscillatory activity in SMA. SignificanceTMS-EEG could be used to identify early alterations of cortical oscillatory activity that could be related to the COVID impact in central fatigue.

Inner sense of rhythm: percussionist brain activity during rhythmic encoding and synchronization.

The main objective of this research is to explore the core cognitive mechanisms utilized by exceptionally skilled percussionists as they navigate complex rhythms. Our specific focus is on understanding the dynamic interactions among brain regions, respectively, related to externally directed cognition (EDC), internally directed cognition (IDC), and rhythm processing, defined as the neural correlates of rhythm processing (NCRP). The research involved 26 participants each in the percussionist group (PG) and control group (CG), who underwent task-functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) sessions focusing on rhythm encoding and synchronization. Comparative analyses were performed between the two groups under each of these conditions. Rhythmic encoding showed decreased activity in EDC areas, specifically in the right calcarine cortex, left middle occipital gyrus, right fusiform gyrus, and left inferior parietal lobule, along with reduced NCRP activity in the left dorsal premotor, right sensorimotor cortex, and left superior parietal lobule. During rhythmic synchronization, there was increased activity in IDC areas, particularly in the default mode network, and in NCRP areas including the left inferior frontal gyrus and bilateral putamen. Conversely, EDC areas like the right dorsolateral prefrontal gyrus, right superior temporal gyrus, right middle occipital gyrus, and bilateral inferior parietal lobule showed decreased activity, as did NCRP areas including the bilateral dorsal premotor cortex, bilateral ventral insula, bilateral inferior frontal gyrus, and left superior parietal lobule. PG's rhythm encoding is characterized by reduced cognitive effort compared to CG, as evidenced by decreased activity in brain regions associated with EDC and the NCRP. Rhythmic synchronization reveals up-regulated IDC, down-regulated EDC involvement, and dynamic interplay among regions with the NCRP, suggesting that PG engages in both automatic and spontaneous processing simultaneously. These findings provide valuable insights into expert performance and present opportunities for improving music education.

Predicting and coding sound into action translation in spinal cord injured people.

Motor activation in response to perception of action-related stimuli may depend on a resonance mechanism subserving action understanding. The extent to which this mechanism is innate or learned from sensorimotor experience is still unclear. Here, we recorded EEG while people with paraplegia or tetraplegia consequent to spinal cord injury (SCI) and healthy control participants were presented with action sounds produced by body parts (mouth, hands or feet) that were or were not affected by SCI. Non-action sounds were used as further control. We observed reduced brain activation in subjects affected by SCI at both pre- and post-stimulus latencies specifically for those actions whose effector was disconnected by the spinal lesion (i.e., hand sound for tetraplegia and leg sound for both paraplegia and tetraplegia). Correlation analyses showed that these modulations were functionally linked with the chronicity of the lesion, indicating that the longer the time the lesion- EEG data acquisition interval and/or the more the lesion occurred at a young age, the weaker was the cortical activity in response to these action sounds. Tellingly, source estimations confirmed that these modulations originated from a deficit in the motor resonance mechanism, by showing diminished activity in premotor (during prediction and perception) and near the primary motor (during perception) areas. Such dissociation along the cortical hierarchy is consistent with both previous reports in healthy subjects and with hierarchical predictive coding accounts. Overall, these data expand on the notion that sensorimotor experience maintains the cortical representations relevant to anticipate and perceive action-related stimuli.

Association between activity in the ventral premotor cortex and spinal cord activation during force generation-A combined cortico-spinal fMRI study.

Force generation is a crucial element of dexterity and a highly relevant skill of the human motor system. How cerebral and spinal components interact and how spinal activation is associated with the activity in the cerebral primary motor and premotor areas is poorly understood. Here, we conducted combined cortico-spinal functional magnetic resonance imaging during a simple visually guided isometric force generation task in 20 healthy young subjects. Activation was localized in the right cervical spinal cord and left primary motor and premotor areas. The main finding is that spinal activation was negatively correlated with ventral premotor cortex activation. Spinal activation was furthermore significantly correlated with primary motor cortex activation, while increasing target forces led to an increase in the amount of activation. These data indicate that human premotor areas such as the ventral premotor cortex might be functionally connected to the lower cervical spinal cord contributing to distal upper limb functions, a finding that extends our understanding of human motor function beyond the animal literature.

Premotor and Posterior Parietal Cortex Activity is Increased for Slow, as well as Fast Walking Poststroke: An fNIRS Study.

Twenty individuals in the chronic stage of stroke walked: (1) at their normal pace, (2) slower than normal, and (3) as fast as possible. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy was used to assess bilateral prefrontal, premotor, sensorimotor, and posterior parietal cortices during walking. No significant differences in laterality were observed between walking speeds. The ipsilesional prefrontal cortex was overall more active than the contralesional prefrontal cortex. Premotor and posterior parietal cortex activity were larger during slow and fast walking compared to normal-paced walking with no differences between slow and fast walking. Greater increases in brain activation in the ipsilesional prefrontal cortex during fast compared to normal-paced walking related to greater gait speed modulation. Brain activation is not linearly related to gait speed. Ipsilesional prefrontal cortex, bilateral premotor, and bilateral posterior parietal cortices are important areas for gait speed modulation and could be an area of interest for neurostimulation.

How embodied is cognition? fMRI and behavioral evidence for common neural resources underlying motor planning and mental rotation of bodily stimuli.

Functional neuroimaging shows that dorsal frontoparietal regions exhibit conjoint activity during various motor and cognitive tasks. However, it is unclear whether these regions serve several, computationally independent functions, or underlie a motor "core process" that is reused to serve higher-order functions. We hypothesized that mental rotation capacity relies on a phylogenetically older motor process that is rooted within these areas. This hypothesis entails that neural and cognitive resources recruited during motor planning predict performance in seemingly unrelated mental rotation tasks. To test this hypothesis, we first identified brain regions associated with motor planning by measuring functional activations to internally-triggered vs externally-triggered finger presses in 30 healthy participants. Internally-triggered finger presses yielded significant activations in parietal, premotor, and occipitotemporal regions. We then asked participants to perform two mental rotation tasks outside the scanner, consisting of hands or letters as stimuli. Parietal and premotor activations were significant predictors of individual reaction times when mental rotation involved hands. We found no association between motor planning and performance in mental rotation of letters. Our results indicate that neural resources in parietal and premotor cortex recruited during motor planning also contribute to mental rotation of bodily stimuli, suggesting a common core component underlying both capacities.

Hyperthymic temperament predicts neural responsiveness for nonmonetary reward.

Hyperthymic temperament is a cheerful action orientation that is suggested to have a protective effect on depressive symptoms. We recently reported that hyperthymic temperament can positively predict activation of reward-related brain areas in anticipation of monetary rewards, which could serve as a biomarker of hyperthymic temperament. However, the relationship between hyperthymic temperament and neural responsiveness to nonmonetary rewards (i.e., feedback indicating success in a task) remains unclear. Healthy participants performed a modified monetary incentive delay task inside a functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner. To examine the effect of nonmonetary positive feedback, the participants performed feedback and no-feedback trials. We explored brain regions whose neural responsiveness to nonmonetary rewards was predicted by hyperthymic temperament. There was premotor area activation in anticipation of a nonmonetary reward, which was negatively predicted by hyperthymic temperament. Moreover, brain areas located mainly in the primary somatosensory area and somatosensory association area were activated by performance feedback, which was positively predicted by hyperthymic temperament. We found that hyperthymic temperament is related to neural responsiveness to both monetary and nonmonetary rewards. This may be related to the process of affective regulation in the somatosensory area.

Brain functional characterization of response-code conflict in dual-tasking and its modulation by age.

Crosstalk between conflicting response codes contributes to interference in dual-tasking, an effect exacerbated in advanced age. Here, we investigated (i) brain activity correlates of such response-code conflicts, (ii) activity modulations by individual dual-task performance and related cognitive abilities, (iii) task-modulated connectivity within the task network, and (iv) age-related differences in all these aspects. Young and older adults underwent fMRI while responding to the pitch of tones through spatially mapped speeded button presses with one or two hands concurrently. Using opposing stimulus-response mappings between hands, we induced conflict between simultaneously activated response codes. These response-code conflicts elicited activation in key regions of the multiple-demand network. While thalamic and parietal areas of the conflict-related network were modulated by attentional, working-memory and task-switching abilities, efficient conflict resolution in dual-tasking mainly relied on increasing supplementary motor activity. Older adults showed non-compensatory hyperactivity in left superior frontal gyrus, and higher right premotor activity was modulated by working-memory capacity. Finally, connectivity between premotor or parietal seed regions and the conflict-sensitive network was neither conflict-specific nor age-sensitive. Overall, resolving dual-task response-code conflict recruited substantial parts of the multiple-demand network, whose activity and coupling, however, were only little affected by individual differences in task performance or age.

Chronic alcohol exposure alters action control via hyperactive premotor corticostriatal activity

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) alters decision-making control over actions, but disruptions to the responsible neural circuit mechanisms are unclear. Premotor corticostriatal circuits are implicated in balancing goal-directed and habitual control over actions and show disruption in disorders with compulsive, inflexible behaviors, including AUD. However, whether there is a causal link between disrupted premotor activity and altered action control is unknown. Here, we find that mice chronically exposed to alcohol (chronic intermittent ethanol [CIE]) showed impaired ability to use recent action information to guide subsequent actions. Prior CIE exposure resulted in aberrant increases in the calcium activity of premotor cortex (M2) neurons that project to the dorsal medial striatum (M2-DMS) during action control. Chemogenetic reduction of this CIE-induced hyperactivity in M2-DMS neurons rescued goal-directed action control. This suggests a direct, causal relationship between chronic alcohol disruption to premotor circuits and decision-making strategy and provides mechanistic support for targeting activity of human premotor regions as a potential treatment in AUD.

Neural correlates of cognitively controlled vocalizations in a corvid songbird

The neuronal basis of the songbird's song system is well understood. However, little is known about the neuronal correlates of the executive control of songbird vocalizations. Here, we record single-unit activity from the pallial endbrain region "nidopallium caudolaterale" (NCL) of crows that vocalize to the presentation of a visual go-cue but refrain from vocalizing during trials without a go-cue. We find that the preparatory activity of single vocalization-correlated neurons, but also of the entire population of NCL neurons, before vocal onset predicts whether or not the crows will produce an instructed vocalization. Fluctuations in baseline neuronal activity prior to the go-cue influence the premotor activity of such vocalization-correlated neurons and seemingly bias the crows' decision to vocalize. Neuronal response modulation significantly differs between volitional and task-unrelated vocalizations. This suggests that the NCL can take control over the vocal motor network during the production of volitional vocalizations in a corvid songbird.

Neural Substrates of Body Ownership and Agency during Voluntary Movement.

Body ownership and the sense of agency are two central aspects of bodily self-consciousness. While multiple neuroimaging studies have investigated the neural correlates of body ownership and agency separately, few studies have investigated the relationship between these two aspects during voluntary movement when such experiences naturally combine. By eliciting the moving rubber hand illusion with active or passive finger movements during functional magnetic resonance imaging, we isolated activations reflecting the sense of body ownership and agency, respectively, as well as their interaction, and assessed their overlap and anatomic segregation. We found that perceived hand ownership was associated with activity in premotor, posterior parietal, and cerebellar regions, whereas the sense of agency over the movements of the hand was related to activity in the dorsal premotor cortex and superior temporal cortex. Moreover, one section of the dorsal premotor cortex showed overlapping activity for ownership and agency, and somatosensory cortical activity reflected the interaction of ownership and agency with higher activity when both agency and ownership were experienced. We further found that activations previously attributed to agency in the left insular cortex and right temporoparietal junction reflected the synchrony or asynchrony of visuoproprioceptive stimuli rather than agency. Collectively, these results reveal the neural bases of agency and ownership during voluntary movement. Although the neural representations of these two experiences are largely distinct, there are interactions and functional neuroanatomical overlap during their combination, which has bearing on theories on bodily self-consciousness.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT How does the brain generate the sense of being in control of bodily movement (agency) and the sense that body parts belong to one's body (body ownership)? Using fMRI and a bodily illusion triggered by movement, we found that agency is associated with activity in premotor cortex and temporal cortex, and body ownership with activity in premotor, posterior parietal, and cerebellar regions. The activations reflecting the two sensations were largely distinct, but there was overlap in premotor cortex and an interaction in somatosensory cortex. These findings advance our understanding of the neural bases of and interplay between agency and body ownership during voluntary movement, which has implications for the development of advanced controllable prosthetic limbs that feel like real limbs.

Brain activity during the preparation and production of spontaneous speech in children with persistent stuttering

Speech production forms the basis for human verbal communication. Though fluent speech production is effortless and automatic for most people, it is disrupted in speakers who stutter, who experience difficulties especially during spontaneous speech and at utterance onsets. Brain areas comprising the basal ganglia thalamocortical (BGTC) motor loop have been a focus of interest in the context of stuttering, given this circuit’s critical role in initiating and sequencing connected speech. Despite the importance of better understanding the role of the BGTC motor loop in supporting overt, spontaneous speech production, capturing brain activity during speech has been challenging to date, due to fMRI artifacts associated with severe head motions during speech production. Here, using an advanced technique that removes speech-related artifacts from fMRI signals, we examined brain activity occurring immediately before, and during, overt spontaneous speech production in 22 children with persistent stuttering (CWS) and 18 children who do not stutter (controls) in the 5-to-12-year age range. Brain activity during speech production was compared in two conditions: spontaneous speech (i.e., requiring language formulation) and automatic speech (i.e., overlearned word sequences). Compared to controls, CWS exhibited significantly reduced left premotor activation during spontaneous speech production but not during automatic speech. Moreover, CWS showed an age-related reduction in left putamen and thalamus activation during speech preparation. These results provide further evidence that stuttering is associated with functional deficits in the BGTC motor loop, which are exacerbated during spontaneous speech production.

Neuroelectric indices of motor response preparation are selectively associated with physical activity among adults with obesity

Previous work has demonstrated that physical activity and weight status are associated with attentional inhibition (indexed with the P3 component of event-related potentials). However, there is limited knowledge on the neural underpinnings of motor response planning and activation. This study investigated the effect of weight status on relationships between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and the lateralized readiness potential (LRP), a neuroelectric index of motor response planning and activation. Adults (N = 165 [98 females]) wore ActiGraph wGT3X+ accelerometers to measure physical activity. Behavioral outcomes were recorded during the modified Eriksen Flanker task to assess attentional inhibition. EEG recordings were taken to elucidate response- (LRP-R) and stimulus-locked (LRP-S) LRPs, and P3. Participants were separated into groups based on the BMI cutoff of 30 kg/m2 (i.e., non-obese [n = 88], obese [n = 77]). Independent t-tests and ANCOVA were conducted to determine differences between groups. Regression analyses within each group were conducted to determine relationships between MVPA and LRP and P3 amplitude and latencies. There was no difference in MVPA between weight groups after adjustment for age and sex, although the non-obese group had significantly higher incongruent accuracy (p = 0.007). Only in the obese group, MVPA was positively associated with LRP-R incongruent (β = 0.014, p = 0.029) and LRP-S congruent (β = 0.013, p = 0.008) amplitude, and inversely associated with LRP-S incongruent (β = −0.488, p = 0.017) and P3 congruent (β = 0.013, p = 0.008) fractional area latency. MVPA was associated with pre-motor planning and activation only among persons with obesity. Future work should study the impact of physical activity on neuroelectric indices of motor responses in people with obesity.

Bounded rational decision-making models suggest capacity-limited concurrent motor planning in human posterior parietal and frontal cortex.

While traditional theories of sensorimotor processing have often assumed a serial decision-making pipeline, more recent approaches have suggested that multiple actions may be planned concurrently and vie for execution. Evidence for the latter almost exclusively stems from electrophysiological studies in posterior parietal and premotor cortex of monkeys. Here we study concurrent prospective motor planning in humans by recording functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a delayed response task engaging movement sequences towards multiple potential targets. We find that also in human posterior parietal and premotor cortex delay activity modulates both with sequence complexity and the number of potential targets. We tested the hypothesis that this modulation is best explained by concurrent prospective planning as opposed to the mere maintenance of potential targets in memory. We devise a bounded rationality model with information constraints that optimally assigns information resources for planning and memory for this task and determine predicted information profiles according to the two hypotheses. When regressing delay activity on these model predictions, we find that the concurrent prospective planning strategy provides a significantly better explanation of the fMRI-signal modulations. Moreover, we find that concurrent prospective planning is more costly and thus limited for most subjects, as expressed by the best fitting information capacities. We conclude that bounded rational decision-making models allow relating both behavior and neural representations to utilitarian task descriptions based on bounded optimal information-processing assumptions.

Moderate-to-vigorous Physical Activity Is Related To Pre-motor Planning In Persons With Obesity

PURPOSE: Although previous work has demonstrated that physical activity and excess fat mass are associated with attentional control (indexed with the P3 component of event related potentials; ERP), there is limited knowledge on the neural underpinnings of motor response planning and activation. Accordingly, this study investigated the effect of obesity status on the relationship between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and the lateralized readiness potential (LRP), a neuroelectric index of motor planning and activation. METHODS: Adults (N = 165 [98 female]; 20-45 yrs) wore hip-worn ActiGraph wGT3X+ accelerometers to measure physical activity. MVPA was defined using Troiano cut-points. Behavioral outcomes were recorded during the Eriksen Flanker task to assess attentional inhibition. EEG recordings were taken to elucidate response- and stimulus-locked LRPs at the C3 and C4 electrodes. Participants were separated into groups based on the BMI cutoff of 30 kg/m2 i.e., non-obese (n = 88) and obese (n = 77). Partial Pearson correlations controlling for age, sex, wear time, and handedness were conducted in each group to determine if MVPA was associated with the response- and stimulus-locked LRP amplitudes and latencies. RESULTS: Average MVPA was significantly different (P = 0.002) between the non-obese (41.8 + 25.0 min/day) and the obese group (31.2 + 17.7 min/day). Average congruent (P = 0.017) and incongruent (P = 0.005) accuracies were significantly different between each group. MVPA was related to incongruent accuracy (r = 0.311, P = 0.004) but not congruent (r = 0.161, P = 0.143) in the non-obese group. There were no relationships between MVPA and response- or stimulus-locked LRPs in the non-obese group. However, in participants with obesity, MVPA was associated with response-locked congruent (r = 0.251, P = 0.032) and incongruent (r = 0.260; P = 0.026) mean amplitude, and stimulus-locked congruent mean amplitude (r = 0.301, P = 0.013). CONCLUSION: MVPA was associated with pre-motor planning and activation in people with obesity. Future work should study the impact of physical activity on neuroelectric indices of motor response preparation in people with obesity. This work was funded by the Hass Avocado Board and the Kinesiology Department at the University of Illinois