The Role of the Pre-Supplementary Motor Area in Action Control
Author Information
Author(s): Nachev Parashkev, Wydell Henrietta, O’Neill Kevin, Husain Masud, Kennard Christopher
Primary Institution: Imperial College London
Hypothesis
Does the pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA) play a critical role in inhibiting competing movement plans?
Conclusion
The study shows that damage to the pre-SMA leads to difficulties in inhibiting responses when faced with competing actions.
Supporting Evidence
- The patient showed a significant deficit in inhibiting responses when instructed to change movements.
- Functional imaging confirmed that the lesion spared the supplementary motor area.
- Control subjects did not exhibit the same level of inhibition deficit as the patient.
Takeaway
When our brain has to choose between two actions, the pre-SMA helps us decide which one to do. If it's damaged, we might struggle to stop one action and switch to another.
Methodology
The study involved a patient with a lesion in the pre-SMA and compared her performance on tasks with control subjects.
Potential Biases
Potential biases may arise from the small sample size and reliance on a single case study.
Limitations
The findings are based on a single patient case, which may limit generalizability.
Participant Demographics
One right-handed female patient aged 52 and ten right-handed normal subjects as controls.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.002
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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