Investigation and modulation of neural structures underlying motor preparatory processes

对大多数人来说，为即将到来的行动做准备的过程，比如当十字路口的信号改变时，准备开始行走，既熟悉又相对轻松。只有当这些能力因神经运动损伤或疾病（如帕金森病）而减弱时，我们才会注意到它们的重要性。运动准备涉及到沿神经系统的许多结构的激活变化，但是在许多这些过程中涉及的时间过程和精确的神经通路和连接还不是很清楚。目前的研究计划旨在从多个角度探索控制运动准备的神经过程：1)与动作准备和启动相关过程的行为结果，2)这些准备过程背后的神经结构，以及3)使用新的脑刺激技术（如TMS和tDCS）是否可以增加或减少运动准备。本研究的每个部分都涉及不同的方法和采用不同层次的分析，以便对运动准备和实验操作的行为结果的神经贡献提供更全面的看法。这项研究将极大地扩展我们对运动准备和感觉统合的理解，从行为和神经生理层面分析，对帕金森病和中风等神经运动障碍患者具有重要意义。本研究的结果可能在几个领域产生直接或间接的影响：从本研究中获得的知识可能有助于新技术的发展，如假体装置，本研究还可能为感觉运动缺陷患者带来新的干预和治疗方法，从而对医疗保健系统产生直接的有益影响，如改善治疗方法和降低成本。

The process of preparing for upcoming actions, such as getting ready to start walking when a crossing signal changes, is both familiar and relatively effortless for most people. It's only when these abilities are diminished due to neuromotor injury or disease (such as Parkinson's disease) that we take note of their importance. Motor preparation involves changes in the activation of many structures along the nervous system, but the time course and precise neural pathways and connections involved in many of these processes are not well understood. The current research program is designed to explore the neural processes governing motor preparation from multiple viewpoints: 1) behavioural outcomes of processes related to preparation and initiation of actions, 2) neural structures underlying these preparatory processes, and 3) whether motor preparation can be increased or decreased using novel brain stimulation techniques such as TMS and tDCS. Each part of this research involves different methods and employs different levels of analysis in order to provide more holistic view of the neural contributions to motor preparation and the behavioural outcomes of experimental manipulations. This research will greatly extend our understanding of motor preparation and sensory integration from behavioural and neurophysiological levels of analysis with implications for individuals with neuro-motor disorders such as Parkinson's disease and stroke. The outcomes of this research may have direct or indirect impacts in several areas: Knowledge gained from this research may contribute to the development of new technologies such as prosthetic devices, and this research may also lead to novel interventions and treatments for individuals with sensorimotor deficits, resulting in direct beneficial impacts to the health care system such as improved treatments and lowered costs.