title: Reaction time as a stochastic process implemented by functional brain networks.
abstract: Many studies focus on anatomical brain connectivity in an effort to explain the effect of practice on reaction time (RT) that is observed in many cognitive tasks. In this commentary, we suggest that RT reflects a stochastic process that varies in each single repetition of any cognitive task and cannot be attributed only to anatomical properties of the underlying neuronal circuit. Based on recent evidence from Magnetoencephalographic, Electroencephalographic, and fMRI studies, we further propose that the functional properties of key brain areas and their self-organization into functional connectivity networks contribute to the RT and could also explain the effects of training on the distribution of the RT.
authors.affiliation: a School of Applied Mathematics and Physical Sciences , National Technical University of Athens , Athens , Greece.
authors.forename: Constantinos I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Siettos
authors.affiliation: b Laboratory of Sensorimotor Control , University Mental Healht Research Institute , Athens , Greece.|c Psychiatry Department, Eginition Hospital , National University of Athens , Athens , Greece.
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Smyrnis
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain; D003071:Cognition; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D011930:Reaction Time; D013269:Stochastic Processes; D066127:White Matter
keywords: Reaction time; cognitive neuroscience; functional connectivity networks; training