Supplementary motor area plays a causal role in automatic inhibition of motor responses.

摘要: Abstract Background The masked-priming paradigm is used to test unconscious inhibitory processes of the brain. A tendency towards responses that are incompatible with prime, designated as negative compatibility effect (NCE), emerges when perception a priming visual stimulus “masked” afterwards. This presumably stems from subliminal process against masked-prime. Prior lesions well activation studies suggest key role SMA in this effect. Objective study was conducted elucidate causal response inhibition represented by NCE. Methods Using repeated-measures pre–post design group healthy people, physiological measures (resting and active motor thresholds evoked potential (MEP) amplitude) behavioral ones (choice reaction time (CRT), positive (PCE) NCE) were obtained before after three quadripulse stimulation (QPS), namely sham, M1-QPS, SMA-QPS, on different days. CRT PCE served indices for aspects execution. Results Motor not altered any QPS, although M1-QPS increased MEP amplitude. Neither nor significantly QPS protocols. NCE abolished SMA-QPS. Conclusions Abolished SMA-QPS absence changes suggests (1) plays cardinal NCE, (2) network involved generation.