Presenter: David Gallacher
Faculty Mentor: Anita Christie
Presentation Type: Poster 63
Primary Research Area: Science
Major: Human Physiology, Psychology
Funding Source: UROP mini-grant, $1000
It is widely accepted that multitasking with a motor task while performing a cognitive task will decrease performance, but we do not understand the underlying physiology. The purpose of our study was to assess the effects of a cognitive task on motor cortex excitability and inhibition in young adults. Transcranial magnetic stimulation was used to evoke responses from the first dorsal interosseous muscle. Excitability was assessed through the amplitude of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) and inhibition was assessed through the duration of cortical silent periods (CSPs). These measures were obtained under three conditions: (1) no cognitive task; (2) during a simple cognitive task; (3) during a complex cognitive task. MEP amplitude was increased during both simple and complex cognitive tasks; however, this did not reach statistical significance (p=0.06). The duration of the CSP was unaffected by the cognitive tasks (p=0.74). These results suggest that a cognitive task may increase motor cortex excitability, but does not affect inhibition.