Motoric response inhibition in finger movement and saccadic eye movement: a comparative study

Objective: To study cortical potentials associated with suppression of intended motoric actions. Methods: Electro-encephalographic activity was recorded in a Go/NoGo reaction time paradigm. Subjects viewed computer-generated pacing stimuli, which provided information concerning the time at which an imperative Go/NoGo signal occurred. A motoric response was required following Go stimuli while motoric response inhibition was required following NoGo stimuli. To examine whether previously reported ‘Go/NoGo effects’ on event related potential (ERP) components may be generalized across movement modalities, the present experimental paradigm was performed with either finger movement or saccadic eye movement as required motoric response. Results: For both movement modalities, comparable differences in the morphology, amplitude and scalp topography of ERP components were observed between Go trials, with proper movement execution, and NoGo trials, with complete suppression of motoric activity. In addition, for either movement modality a similar ‘error related negativity’ (ERN) was found for NoGo trials in which motoric activity was present. Conclusions: The results of the present study suggest that cortical activity underlying the Go/NoGo differences in ERP components represent general cortical processing associated with detection and/or suppression of inappropriate response behaviour, independent of movement modality.