Pain-related suppression of beta oscillations facilitates voluntary movement

Gaurav Misra, Edward Ofori, Jae Woo Chung, Stephen A. Coombes

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

27 Scopus citations

Abstract

Increased beta oscillations over sensorimotor cortex are antikinetic. Motor- and pain-related processes separately suppress beta oscillations over sensorimotor cortex leading to the prediction that ongoing pain should facilitate movement. In the current study, we used a paradigm in which voluntary movements were executed during an ongoing pain-eliciting stimulus to test the hypothesis that a pain-related suppression of beta oscillations would facilitate the initiation of a subsequent voluntary movement. Using kinematic measures, electromyography, and high-density electroencephalography, we demonstrate that ongoing pain leads to shorter reaction times without affecting the kinematics or accuracy of movement. Reaction time was positively correlated with beta power prior tomovement incontralateral premotor areas. Our findings corroborate the view that beta-band oscillations are antikinetic and provide new evidence that pain primesthe motor system for action. Our observations provide the first evidence that a pain-related suppression of beta oscillations over contralateral premotor areas leads to shorter reaction times for voluntary movement.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2592-2606
Number of pages15
JournalCerebral Cortex
Volume27
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 2017
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • EEG
  • Movement
  • Pain
  • Premotor cortex
  • Reaction time

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

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