Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; Institute for Transcultural Health Studies, European University Viadrina, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany.
Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2016 Sep;68:639-650. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.06.023. Epub 2016 Jun 18.
The readiness potential is an ongoing negativity in the EEG preceding a self-initiated movement by approximately 1.5s. So far it has predominantly been interpreted as a preparatory signal with a causal link to the upcoming movement. Here a different hypothesis is suggested which we call the selective slow cortical potential sampling hypothesis. In this review of recent research results we argue that the initiation of a voluntary action is more likely during negative fluctuations of the slow cortical potential and that the sampling and averaging of many trials leads to the observed negativity. That is, empirical evidence indicates that the early readiness potential is not a neural correlate of preconscious motor preparation and thus a determinant of action. Our hypothesis thereafter challenges the classic interpretation of the Libet experiment which is often taken as proof that there is no free will. We furthermore suggest that slow cortical potentials are related to an urge to act but are not a neural indicator of the decision process of action initiation.
准备电位是在自主运动前大约 1.5 秒内 EEG 中的持续负向电位。到目前为止，它主要被解释为与即将到来的运动有因果关系的预备信号。在这里，我们提出了一个不同的假设，我们称之为选择性慢皮层电位采样假设。在对最近研究结果的回顾中，我们认为自愿行动的发起更可能发生在慢皮层电位的负向波动期间，并且对许多试验的采样和平均导致了观察到的负向电位。也就是说，经验证据表明，早期准备电位不是无意识运动准备的神经相关物，因此不是行动的决定因素。此后，我们的假设挑战了 Libet 实验的经典解释，该实验常被视为没有自由意志的证据。我们还认为，慢皮层电位与行动的冲动有关，但不是行动发起决策过程的神经指标。
