title: Stimulus-dependent deliberation process leading to a specific motor action demonstrated via a multi-channel EEG analysis.
abstract: The aim of the study was to determine whether a deliberative process, leading to a motor action, is detectable in high density EEG recordings. Subjects were required to press one of two buttons. In a simple motor task the subject knew which button to press, whilst in a color-word Stroop task subjects had to press the right button with the right index finger when meaning and color coincided, or the left button with the left index finger when meaning and color were disparate. EEG recordings obtained during the simple motor task showed a sequence of positive (P) and negative (N) cortical potentials (P1-N1-P2) which are assumed to be related to the processing of the movement. The sequence of cortical potentials was similar in EEG recordings of subjects having to deliberate over how to respond, but the above sequence (P1-N1-P2) was preceded by slowly increasing negativity (N0), with N0 being assumed to represent the end of the deliberation process. Our data suggest the existence of neurophysiological correlates of deliberative processes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Genomics, Motor Research, Institute of Physiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Henz
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Genomics, Motor Research, Institute of Physiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Dieter F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Kutz
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Genomics, Motor Research, Institute of Physiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Werner
authors.affiliation: Research and Consulting Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hürster
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Genomics, Motor Research, Institute of Physiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Florian P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Kolb
authors.affiliation: Department of Philosophy IV, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nida-Ruemelin
keywords: Libet; choice-reaction task; color-word-Stroop task; deliberation; free will; high density EEG; movement intention; readiness potential