Top-down response suppression mitigates action tendencies triggered by a motivating stimulus.

ABSTRACT: Motivating stimuli provoke action tendencies that sometimes lead to unwanted behavior (e.g., eating chocolate when trying to diet). Implementing control over these provocations is essential to healthy functioning; however, few laboratory-based models of such control exist. Here we developed a novel task in which thirsty human subjects made instrumental responses to obtain a juice reward (Go trials) or were required to withhold responding (NoGo trials) in the presence of a rewarded (CS+) or unrewarded (CS-) conditioned stimulus. For Go trials, single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation revealed a rapid increase in motor activity for CS+ versus CS-, preceding more vigorous instrumental responding. Critically, successful NoGo trials resulted in suppression of motor activity for CS+, but n

SUBMITTER: Freeman SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4396623 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature