Premotor and Motor Reaction Time as a Function of Preliminary Muscular Tension

1970/06/01 by Richard A. Schmidt, G. Alan Stull
Neuroscience · #Motor Control and Adaptation

paper · doi:10.1080/00222895.1970.10734868

Abstract

Ss squeezed a hand grip device to 1 of 3 submaximal tensions, and reacted to either a light (Exp. I, N = 30) or to a buzzer (Exp. II, N = 24) by squeezing as quickly and forcefully as possible. Total RT was the time from stimulus to the change in tension, and this was divided into Premotor RT (stimulus to change in EMG) and Motor RT (change in EMG to change in tension) to determine the locus of changes in Total RT found by Clarke (1968). Whereas Total RT was unaffected by increased pre-tension, Premotor RT shortened and Motor RT lengthened. Partial programming or activation hypotheses were tenable for the Premotor RT changes, whereas changes in the contractile component, but not in the series elastic component, were tenable for the Motor RT changes.

Citations

• Premotor and motor components of reaction time.
• The Locus of Reaction Time Change With Set, Motivation and Age

Related

• Premotor and motor components of reaction time.
• The Timing of Natural Prehension Movements
• Once More on the Equilibrium-Point Hypothesis (λ Model) for Motor Control
• Firing rates of motor units during strong dynamic contractions
• Reactions toward the source of stimulation.