title: Immediate effect of visual attention on corticospinal excitability in the upper trapezius muscle.
abstract: This study investigated the immediate effect of visual attention on corticospinal excitability in the upper trapezius muscle. 10 healthy males gazed at a horizontal bar. A warning tone, indicating that a line would be slightly displaced 7,400 msec. later, was delivered in the high-attention-demand condition. A different warning tone, indicating the line would not be displaced, was delivered in the low-attention-demand condition. Participants verbally declared the direction of line displacement in the high-attention-demand condition, or stated that the warning tone meant that the line would not be displaced in the low-attention-demand condition. The amplitude of the motor-evoked potential in the upper trapezius muscle increased 7,000 msec. after the warning tone in the high-attention-demand condition. Apparently, visual attention immediately increases corticospinal excitability in the upper trapezius muscle.
authors.affiliation: School of Comprehensive Rehabilitation, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka, Japan. hiraoka@rehab.osakafu-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hiraoka
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Comprehensive Rehabilitation, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuhiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Comprehensive Rehabilitation, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Horino
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D004576:Electromyography; D006804:Ergonomics; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology*; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D011712:Pyramidal Tracts / Q000502:physiology*; D064171:Superficial Back Muscles / Q000294:innervation*; D014584:User-Computer Interface