HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Praamstra, P. Articles by Plat, F.M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Praamstra, P. Articles by Plat, F.M.

Failed Suppression of Direct Visuomotor Activation in Parkinson's Disease

University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands

The response times in choice-reaction tasks are faster when the relative spatial positions of stimulus and response match than when they do not match, even when the spatial relation is irrelevant to response choice. This spatial stimulus–response (S–R) compatibility effect (i.e., the Simon effect) is attributed in part to the automatic activation of spatially corresponding responses, which need to be suppressed when the spatial location of stimulus and correct response do not correspond. The present study tested patients with Parkinson's disease and healthy control subjects in a spatial S–R compatibility task in order to investigate whether basal ganglia dysfunction in Parkinson's disease leads to disinhibition of direct visuomotor activation. High-density event-related brain potential recordings were used to chart the cortical activity accompanying attentional orientation and response selection. Response time measures demonstrated a failure to inhibit automatic response activation in Parkinson patients, which was revealed by taking into account a sequence-dependent modulation of the Simon effect. Event-related potential (ERP) recordings demonstrated that visuospatial orientation to target stimuli was accompanied by signal-locked activity above motor areas of the cortex, with similar latencies but an enhanced amplitude in patients compared to control subjects. The results suggest that inhibitory modulation of automatic, stimulus-driven, visuomotor activation occurs after the initial sensory activation of motor cortical areas. The failed inhibition in Parkinson's disease appears therefore related to a disturbance in processes that prevent early attention-related visuomotor activation, within motor areas, from actually evoking a response.

Key Words: Stimulus–response compatibility • Visuomotor control • Parkinson's disease • Movement-related potentials • Motor cortex • Attention

This article has been cited by other articles:

				W. P. M. van den Wildenberg, G. J. M. van Boxtel, M. W. van der Molen, D. A. Bosch, J. D. Speelman, and C. H. M. Brunia Stimulation of the subthalamic region facilitates the selection and inhibition of motor responses in Parkinson's disease. J. Cogn. Neurosci., April 1, 2006; 18(4): 626 - 636. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Pessiglione, V. Czernecki, B. Pillon, B. Dubois, M. Schupbach, Y. Agid, and L. Tremblay An Effect of Dopamine Depletion on Decision-making: The Temporal Coupling of Deliberation and Execution J. Cogn. Neurosci., December 1, 2005; 17(12): 1886 - 1896. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Praamstra and E. Seiss The Neurophysiology of Response Competition: Motor Cortex Activation and Inhibition following Subliminal Response Priming J. Cogn. Neurosci., March 1, 2005; 17(3): 483 - 493. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Seiss and P. Praamstra The basal ganglia and inhibitory mechanisms in response selection: evidence from subliminal priming of motor responses in Parkinson's disease Brain, February 1, 2004; 127(2): 330 - 339. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Poliakoff, D. J. O'Boyle, A. P. Moore, F. P. McGlone, F. W. J. Cody, and C. Spence Orienting of attention and Parkinson's disease: tactile inhibition of return and response inhibition Brain, September 1, 2003; 126(9): 2081 - 2092. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Jaskowski, B. Skalska, and R. Verleger How the Self Controls Its "Automatic Pilot" when Processing Subliminal Information J. Cogn. Neurosci., August 1, 2003; 15(6): 911 - 920. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Koski, A. Wohlschlager, H. Bekkering, R. P. Woods, M.-C. Dubeau, J. C. Mazziotta, and M. Iacoboni Modulation of Motor and Premotor Activity during Imitation of Target-directed Actions Cereb Cortex, August 1, 2002; 12(8): 847 - 855. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]