The readiness potential (RP), which is a slow negative electrical brain potential that occurs before voluntary movement, can be interpreted as a measure of intrinsic brain activity originating from self-regulating mechanisms. Early and late components of the RP may indicate clinical-neurophysiological features such as motivation, preparation, intention, and initiation of voluntary movements. In the present study, we hypothesized that electrical pain stimuli modulate the preparatory brain activity for movement. The grand average evoked potentials were measured at sensory motor regions with EEG during an experimental protocol consisting of painful and nonpainful stimuli. Our results demonstrated that painful stimuli were preceded by an enhanced RP when compared to non-painful stimuli at the Cz channel (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the mean amplitude of the RP at the early phase was significantly higher for the painful stimuli when compared to the non-painful stimuli (p < 0.05). Our results indicate that electrical painful stimuli, which can be considered as an unpleasant and stressful condition, modulate the motor preparation at sensory motor regions to a different extent when compared to non-painful electrical stimuli. Since early component of the RP represents cortical activation due to anticipation of the stimuli and the allocation of attentional resources, our results suggest that painful stimuli may affect the motor preparation processes and the prediction of the movement at the cortical level.

准备电位 (RP) 是一种在自主运动之前发生的缓慢的负脑电势，可以解释为源自自我调节机制的内在大脑活动的量度。RP 的早期和晚期成分可能表明临床神经生理学特征，例如动机、准备、意图和自愿运动的开始。在本研究中，我们假设电痛刺激会调节大脑的运动准备活动。在由疼痛和非疼痛刺激组成的实验方案中，用 EEG 在感觉运动区域测量大平均诱发电位。我们的研究结果表明，与 Cz 通道的非疼痛刺激相比，疼痛刺激之前的 RP 增强（p < 0.05）。此外，与非疼痛刺激相比，疼痛刺激的早期 RP 平均振幅显着高于非疼痛刺激（p < 0.05）。我们的研究结果表明，与非疼痛的电刺激相比，电痛刺激可以被认为是一种令人不快和有压力的状况，它在不同程度上调节感觉运动区域的运动准备。由于 RP 的早期成分代表由于对刺激的预期和注意力资源的分配而导致的皮层激活，我们的结果表明，疼痛的刺激可能会影响运动准备过程和皮层水平运动的预测。我们的研究结果表明，与非疼痛的电刺激相比，电痛刺激可以被认为是一种令人不快和有压力的状况，它在不同程度上调节感觉运动区域的运动准备。由于 RP 的早期成分代表由于对刺激的预期和注意力资源的分配而导致的皮层激活，我们的结果表明，疼痛的刺激可能会影响运动准备过程和皮层水平运动的预测。我们的研究结果表明，与非疼痛的电刺激相比，电痛刺激可以被认为是一种令人不快和有压力的状况，它在不同程度上调节感觉运动区域的运动准备。由于 RP 的早期成分代表由于对刺激的预期和注意力资源的分配而导致的皮层激活，我们的结果表明，疼痛的刺激可能会影响运动准备过程和皮层水平运动的预测。