REACTION TIME OF SINGLE MOTOR UNITS

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Abstract
Four studies of the simple reaction time (RT) of single motor units (MU) are reported. In each study S was first trained to control the firing of a MU by observing visual and auditory feedback of MU action potentials detected by an implanted electrode. Training was followed by one or more RT testing sessions. Experiment I demonstrated that MU RT was about equal to that of a comparable Overt RT, and suggested that the distribution of MU RTs was bimodal. Experiments II and III confirmed that the distribution was bimodal and eliminated the hypotheses that the bimodality was due to equipment artifacts or to S's switching between the defined visual and potentially confounding auditory reaction cues. Experiment IV tested, and rejected, the hypothesis that the bimodality was due to S's alternating between brightness and pattern information processing on RT trials.In all 4 experiments the bimodality was defined by a paucity of responses in the 175–199 msec interval. This fact was related to the findings that delayed auditory feedback has its maximal disruptive effect at 180 msec, and that the limit of the psychological refractory period seems to be between 175 and 200 msec. Further experiments relating these findings were suggested.

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