Age-related differences in corticospinal excitability during a Go/NoGo task

Fujiyama, H.ORCID: 0000-0002-7546-6636, Tandonnet, C. and Summers, J.J. (2011) Age-related differences in corticospinal excitability during a Go/NoGo task. Psychophysiology, 48 (10). pp. 1448-1455.

Abstract

Age-related slowing of reaction times (RTs) is well documented but whether the phenomenon reflects deficits in movement preparation and/or response generation processes is unclear. To gain further insight into this issue, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was used to investigate motor cortex (M1) excitability and short-interval intracortical inhibitory (SICI) processes during a Go/NoGo RT task in younger and older adults. Single- and paired-pulse TMS was delivered over the left M1 during preparation and response generation periods in a right-hand muscle. Younger adults had shorter RTs and a larger increase in corticospinal excitability at response generation period than older adults. SICI modulation for both groups showed a large reduction in inhibition immediately prior to EMG onset. These findings indicate age-related differences in corticospinal excitability during the response generation stage of sensorimotor information processing.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publisher:	Wiley
Copyright:	© 2011 Society for Psychophysiological Research
URI:	http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/30385

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