Electrical brain waves modulate with movement speed and uncertainty
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Date
2020
Authors
Leriche, Ryan
Ryan, Leriche
Nick, Jackson
Kathryn, Peterson
Vanessa, Hufnagel
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
Introduction: We investigated how brain electrical activity changes with movement speed and movement uncertainty. Understanding the electrophysiological profile of movement speed could have applications for Parkinson’s Disease while movement uncertainty could be an ignored confound across many experiments. Methods: We used a computerized task to manipulate participants to move more slowly or more quickly. In addition to these “slow” and “fast” blocks, our task manipulated the certainty of an upcoming movement. When participants knew when they were going to move this was known as a “certain” block. Conversely, during “uncertain” blocks, participants were not sure when they were going to move. Movement speed (slow or fast) and movement uncertainty (certain or uncertain) blocks were paired together creating four possible blocks: fast-certain, fast-uncertain, slow-certain, and slow-uncertain. Scalp-electro-encephalography (EEG) was recorded from 12 participants during this task to examine their brain activity. We looked at the electrical activity in the beta (13-30 Hz) frequency range over the sensorimotor cortex. Results: Our findings suggest that beta-band activity is elevated in during slower movements. The slow-uncertain block had increased beta power compared to the fast-uncertain block during movement preparation. Our other results are less clear. Discussion Our baseline may be confounding our results, but we will explore this possibility. Experimenters should still be aware of movement uncertainty and arguably movement speed in their designs as potential confounds. We plan to run more tasks in order to separately examine movement speed and uncertainty.
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Keywords
neuroscience, movement, electrical, brain waves, speed