Sensory perception and memory are enhanced during restricted phases of ongoing brain rhythms, but whether voluntary movement is constrained by brain rhythm phase is not known. Voluntary movement requires motor commands to be released from motor cortex (M1) and transmitted to spinal motoneurons and effector muscles. Here, we tested the hypothesis that motor commands are preferentially released from M1 during circumscribed phases of ongoing sensorimotor rhythms. Healthy humans of both sexes performed a self-paced finger movement task during electroencephalography (EEG) and electromyography (EMG) recordings. We first estimated the time of motor command release preceding each finger movement by subtracting individually measured corticomuscular transmission latencies from EMG-determined movement onset times. Then, we determined the phase of ipsilateral and contralateral sensorimotor mu (8-12 Hz) and beta (13-35 Hz) rhythms during release of each motor command. We report that motor commands were most often released between 120 and 140° along the contralateral beta cycle but were released uniformly along the contralateral mu cycle. Motor commands were also released uniformly along ipsilateral mu and beta cycles. Results demonstrate that motor command release coincides with restricted phases of the contralateral sensorimotor beta rhythm, suggesting that sensorimotor beta rhythm phase may sculpt the timing of voluntary human movement.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Perceptual and cognitive function is optimal during specific brain rhythm phases. Although brain rhythm phase influences motor cortical neuronal activity and communication between the motor cortex and spinal cord, its role in voluntary movement is poorly understood. Here, we show that the motor commands needed to produce voluntary movements are preferentially released from the motor cortex during contralateral sensorimotor beta rhythm phases. Our findings are consistent with the notion that sensorimotor rhythm phase influences the timing of voluntary human movement.

中文翻译：

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自愿运动命令释放与受限感觉运动 Beta 节律阶段一致。


在持续大脑节律的限制阶段，感觉知觉和记忆会增强，但自主运动是否受到大脑节律阶段的限制尚不清楚。随意运动需要运动指令从运动皮层 (M1) 释放并传输到脊髓运动神经元和效应器肌肉。在这里，我们测试了以下假设：在持续感觉运动节律的限制阶段，运动命令优先从 M1 释放。健康的男女在脑电图（EEG）和肌电图（EMG）记录期间执行自定进度的手指运动任务。我们首先通过从肌电图确定的运动开始时间中减去单独测量的皮质肌肉传输延迟来估计每次手指运动之前的运动命令释放时间。然后，我们确定了每个运动命令释放期间同侧和对侧感觉运动 mu (8-12 Hz) 和 beta (13-35 Hz) 节律的相位。我们报告说，运动命令最常沿着对侧 beta 周期在 120 到 140° 之间释放，但沿着对侧 mu 周期均匀释放。运动命令也沿着同侧 mu 和 beta 周期统一发布。结果表明，运动命令的释放与对侧感觉运动 β 节律的限制阶段相一致，这表明感觉运动 β 节律阶段可能决定人体自主运动的时间。 意义陈述 感知和认知功能在特定的大脑节律阶段是最佳的。尽管大脑节律相位影响运动皮层神经元活动以及运动皮层和脊髓之间的通讯，但其在随意运动中的作用却知之甚少。 在这里，我们表明，在对侧感觉运动β节律阶段，产生随意运动所需的运动命令优先从运动皮层释放。我们的研究结果与感觉运动节律阶段影响人类自主运动时间的观点一致。