Neuronal responses in the human primary motor cortex coincide with the subjective onset of movement intention in brain-machine interface-mediated actions.

ABSTRACT: Self-initiated behavior is accompanied by the experience of intending our actions. Here, we leverage the unique opportunity to examine the full intentional chain-from intention to action to environmental effects-in a tetraplegic person outfitted with a primary motor cortex (M1) brain-machine interface (BMI) generating real hand movements via neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES). This combined BMI-NMES approach allowed us to selectively manipulate each element of the intentional chain (intention, action, effect) while probing subjective experience and performing extra-cellular recordings in human M1. Behaviorally, we reveal a novel form of intentional binding: motor intentions are reflected in a perceived temporal attraction between the onset of intentions and that of actions. Neural

SUBMITTER: Noel JP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12005534 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature