title: Function of striatum beyond inhibition and execution of motor responses.
abstract: We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study the role of the striatum in inhibitory motor control. Subjects had to refrain from responding to designated items (STOP trials) within a similar series of motor stimuli. Striatal activation was increased significantly compared to that when responding to all targets within a series of motor stimuli, indicating that the striatum is more active when inhibitory motor control over responses is required. The likelihood of a STOP trial was varied parametrically by varying the number of GO trials before a STOP trial. We could thus measure the effect of expecting a STOP trial on the fMRI response in the striatum. We show for the first time in humans that the striatum becomes more active when the likelihood of inhibiting a planned motor response increases. Our findings suggest that the striatum is critically involved in inhibitory motor control, most likely by controlling the execution of planned motor responses.
authors.affiliation: Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Psychiatry, Heidelberglaan Utrecht, The Netherlands. M.Vink@azu.nl
authors.forename: Matthijs
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vink
authors.forename: René S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Kahn
authors.forename: Mathijs
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raemaekers
authors.forename: Martijn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van den Heuvel
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boersma
authors.forename: Nick F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Ramsey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D014836:Volition / Q000502:physiology*