McCurdy Justin R, Zlatopolsky Daniel, Doshi Ria, Xu Jing, Barany Deborah A
Department of Kinesiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States.
Neuroscience Program, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States.
J Neurophysiol. 2025 Aug 1;134(2):517-528. doi: 10.1152/jn.00153.2025. Epub 2025 Jul 14.
Successfully intercepting a moving object requires precisely timing the optimal moment to act by integrating information about the target's visual motion properties. Neurophysiological evidence indicates that activity in the primary motor cortex (M1) during interception preparation is sensitive to both the target's kinematic features and motor planning. However, how visual motion signals modulate M1 during timed interception remains unclear. In the present study, we applied single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over M1 to examine how a target's kinematics influence corticospinal excitability during interception preparation. Participants were instructed to abduct their right index finger to intercept a target moving horizontally at a constant speed toward a fixed interception zone. Target speed (Fast or Slow) and travel distance (Far or Close) were manipulated while controlling motion duration across conditions. Motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) were elicited at five latencies before target arrival at the interception zone. Consistent with previous behavioral findings, movement initiation occurred earlier for faster targets and was delayed when TMS was applied closer to the target's arrival. Though MEPs were generally suppressed relative to baseline at earlier time points and facilitated closer to movement initiation, we observed that target speed-but not distance-influenced the time course of MEP modulation. When adjusting for movement initiation times, there was an overall reduced suppression and increased facilitation for faster-moving targets, possibly reflecting a heightened urgency to move. These results suggest M1 activity during interception preparation reflects internal estimates of target motion, which may serve to optimize interception timing and performance. When intercepting a moving object, like catching a ball, we need to continuously combine visual motion signals to predict the object's future location and enable accurate movement. Here, we show that preparatory suppression and facilitation of corticospinal excitability depend on the speed, but not the distance, of the moving target. These findings reveal that differences in interception timing are closely linked to changes in motor system excitability.
成功拦截一个移动目标需要通过整合有关目标视觉运动特性的信息,精确地确定最佳行动时机。神经生理学证据表明,在拦截准备过程中,初级运动皮层(M1)的活动对目标的运动学特征和运动规划都很敏感。然而,在定时拦截过程中视觉运动信号如何调节M1仍不清楚。在本研究中,我们在M1上应用单脉冲经颅磁刺激(TMS),以研究目标的运动学如何在拦截准备过程中影响皮质脊髓兴奋性。参与者被指示外展右手食指以拦截一个以恒定速度水平移动并朝向固定拦截区域的目标。在控制各条件下运动持续时间的同时,操纵目标速度(快或慢)和行进距离(远或近)。在目标到达拦截区域之前的五个潜伏期诱发运动诱发电位(MEP)。与先前的行为学研究结果一致,对于速度更快的目标,运动起始更早发生,而当在更接近目标到达时施加TMS时,运动起始会延迟。尽管在较早时间点MEP相对于基线通常被抑制,而在更接近运动起始时被促进,但我们观察到目标速度而非距离影响MEP调制的时间进程。在调整运动起始时间后,对于移动速度更快的目标,总体抑制减少且促进增加,这可能反映了更高的运动紧迫性。这些结果表明,拦截准备过程中的M1活动反映了对目标运动的内部估计,这可能有助于优化拦截时机和表现。当拦截一个移动目标,如接球时,我们需要持续整合视觉运动信号以预测物体的未来位置并实现准确的运动。在此,我们表明,皮质脊髓兴奋性的准备性抑制和促进取决于移动目标的速度而非距离。这些发现揭示了拦截时机的差异与运动系统兴奋性的变化密切相关。
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