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Sensorimotor attenuation by central motor command signals in the absence of movement

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Abstract

Voluntary actions typically produce suppression of afferent sensation from the moving body part. We used transcranial magnetic stimulation to delay the output of motor commands from the motor cortex during voluntary movement. We show attenuation of sensation during this delay, in the absence of movement. We conclude that sensory suppression mainly relies on central signals related to the preparation for movement and that these signals are upstream of primary motor cortex.

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Figure 1: EMG recordings from the first dorsal interosseous muscle (FDI) of the right hand.
Figure 2: Sensory suppression expressed as a percentage change in the PSE from the resting condition (that is, PSE in resting condition = 0%) in the four experimental conditions.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the McDonnell Foundation, the Human Frontiers Science Programme, the Wellcome Trust and the RIKEN Institute. M. Voss was funded by a grant from the German Academic Exchange Programme (DAAD).

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Correspondence to Martin Voss.

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Voss, M., Ingram, J., Haggard, P. et al. Sensorimotor attenuation by central motor command signals in the absence of movement. Nat Neurosci 9, 26–27 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn1592

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