Effects of Ready-Signal Intensity and Intensity of the Preceding Response Signal on Simple Reaction Time

Aggrandized fluctuations in the series of reaction times (RTs) are a very sensitive marker of neurocognitive disorders present in neuropsychiatric populations, pathological ageing and in patients with acquired brain injury. Even though it was documented that processing inconsistency founds a background of higher-order cognitive functions disturbances, there is a vast heterogeneity regarding types of task used to compute RT-related variability, which impedes determining the relationship between elementary and more complex cognitive processes. Considering the above, our goal was to develop a relatively new assessment method based on a simple reaction time paradigm, conducive to eliciting a controlled range of intra-individual variability. It was hypothesized that performance variability might be induced by manipulation of response-stimulus interval’s length and regularity. In order to verify this hypothesis, a group of 107 healthy students was tested using a series of digitalized tasks and their results were analyzed using parametric and ex-Gaussian statistics of RTs distributional markers. In general, these analyses proved that intra-individual variability might be evoked by a given type of response-stimulus interval manipulation even when it is applied to the simple reaction time task. Collected outcomes were discussed with reference to neuroscientific concepts of attentional resources and functional neural networks.

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Timing of expectancy peak in simple reaction time situation

Acta Psychologica ◽

10.1016/0001-6918(74)90006-7 ◽

1974 ◽

Vol 38 (6) ◽

pp. 461-470 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

R. Näätänen ◽

V. Muranen ◽

A. Merisalo

Keyword(s):

Reaction Time ◽

Simple Reaction Time ◽

Simple Reaction

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Interhemispheric pathways in simple reaction time to lateralized light flash

Neuropsychologia ◽

10.1016/0028-3932(82)90007-0 ◽

1982 ◽

Vol 20 (2) ◽

pp. 171-179 ◽

Cited By ~ 55

Author(s):

A.David Milner ◽

Christopher R. Lines

Keyword(s):

Reaction Time ◽

Simple Reaction Time ◽

Light Flash ◽

Simple Reaction

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Reaction time and spinal excitability in a simple reaction time task

Physiology & Behavior ◽

10.1016/0031-9384(76)90138-4 ◽

1976 ◽

Vol 16 (3) ◽

pp. 311-315 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

Patricia T. Michie ◽

Alex M. Clarke ◽

John D. Sinden ◽

Leonard C.T. Glue

Keyword(s):

Reaction Time ◽

Simple Reaction Time ◽

Reaction Time Task ◽

Simple Reaction Time Task ◽

Simple Reaction ◽

Time Task ◽

Spinal Excitability

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Postural Preparation to Making a Step: Is There a “Motor Program” for Postural Preparation?

Journal of Applied Biomechanics ◽

10.1123/jab.23.4.261 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 23 (4) ◽

pp. 261-274 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Adriana M. Degani ◽

Alessander Danna-Dos-Santos ◽

Mark L. Latash

Keyword(s):

Reaction Time ◽

Simple Reaction Time ◽

Center Of Pressure ◽

Motor Program ◽

Whole Body ◽

Single Motor ◽

Simple Reaction ◽

Specific Manner ◽

Young Subjects ◽

Straight Ahead

We tested the hypothesis that a sequence of mechanical events occurs preceding a step that scales in time and magnitude as a whole in a task-specific manner, and is a reflection of a “motor program.” Young subjects made a step under three speed instructions and four tasks: stepping straight ahead, down a stair, up a stair, and over an obstacle. Larger center-of-pressure (COP) and force adjustments in the anteriorposterior direction and smaller COP and force adjustments in the mediolateral direction were seen during stepping forward and down a stair, as compared with the tasks of stepping up a stair and over an obstacle. These differences were accentuated during stepping under the simple reaction time instruction. These results speak against the hypothesis of a single motor program that would underlie postural preparation to stepping. They are more compatible with the reference configuration hypothesis of whole-body actions.

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