On the Independence of Individual Elements of Visual, Auditory and Tactile Sensor Structures in the Functioning of a Simple Sensorimotor Reaction

Abstract

RelevanceFor performance in a dynamically changing environment, not only the speed of a sensorimotor reaction is important, but also the speed of its recovery (relaxation) after a previous response. GoalTo investigate whether the neural pathways from various receptors or their groups are functionally independent in the process of recovery after excitation transmission. MethodsIn over 20 subjects, the latent period of a simple sensorimotor reaction (SSMR) to visual, auditory, and tactile stimuli was recorded with varying interstimulus intervals. The relaxation parameters of the variable component of the reaction time were extracted by approximating the data with a multiexponential model. The key paradigm involved alternating stimulation of different sensors: spectrally different (red/blue light), totally different (sounds of different frequencies), or spatially separated (different areas of the retina/skin). ResultsIt was shown that alternating stimulation, compared to isolated stimulation of a single type/location, leads to a significant reduction in the time constants of SSMR relaxation. The effect was revealed for all studied modalities. ConclusionThe obtained data indicate the functional independence of neural channels processing information from different receptors or their groups during the recovery phase after excitation transmission, up to the level of the motor center. This suggests a higher degree of specificity in the organization of sensorimotor responding than might be assumed based on data about the diffuse nature of cortical activation recorded by EEG and fMRI methods.