Citation

Pfurtscheller G, Ortner R, Bauernfeind G, Linortner P, Neuper C. Neurosci. Lett. 2010; 468(1): 46-50.

Affiliation

Laboratory of Brain-Computer Interfaces, Institute for Knowledge Discovery, Graz University of Technology, Krenngasse 37, A-8010 Graz, Austria.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.neulet.2009.10.060

PMID

19861147

Abstract

Slow oscillations around 0.1Hz are characteristic features of both the cardiovascular and central nervous systems. Such oscillation have been reported e.g. in blood pressure, heart rate, EEG and brain oxygenation. Hence, conscious intention of a motor act may occur only as a result of brain activity changes in frontal and related brain areas, or might be entrained by slow oscillations in the blood pressure. Twenty six subjects were asked to perform voluntary, self-paced (at free will) brisk finger movements. Some subjects performed self-paced movements in relatively periodic intervals of around 10s at the decreasing slope of the slow 0.1-Hz blood pressure oscillation. Our study reveals the first time that self-paced movements, at least in some subjects, do not stem from "free will" based on brain activity alone, but are influenced by slow blood pressure oscillations.

Language: en