RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Short-Latency Influence of Medial Frontal Cortex on Primary Motor Cortex during Action Selection under Conflict
JF The Journal of Neuroscience
JO J. Neurosci.
FD Society for Neuroscience
SP 6926
OP 6931
DO 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1396-09.2009
VO 29
IS 21
A1 Mars, Rogier B.
A1 Klein, Miriam C.
A1 Neubert, Franz-Xaver
A1 Olivier, Etienne
A1 Buch, Ethan R.
A1 Boorman, Erie D.
A1 Rushworth, Matthew F. S.
YR 2009
UL http://www.jneurosci.org/content/29/21/6926.abstract
AB Medial frontal cortex (MFC) is crucial when actions have to be inhibited, reprogrammed, or selected under conflict, but the precise mechanism by which it operates is unclear. Importantly, how and when the MFC influences the primary motor cortex (M1) during action selection is unknown. Using paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation, we investigated functional connectivity between the presupplementary motor area (pre-SMA) part of MFC and M1. We found that functional connectivity increased in a manner dependent on cognitive context: pre-SMA facilitated the motor evoked-potential elicited by M1 stimulation only during action reprogramming, but not when otherwise identical actions were made in the absence of conflict. The effect was anatomically specific to pre-SMA; it was not seen when adjacent brain regions were stimulated. We discuss implications for the anatomical pathways mediating the observed effects.