READINESS POTENTIALS Meaning and
Definition
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Readiness potentials refer to the electrical brain activity that occurs in the motor cortex prior to the execution of a voluntary movement. These potentials are considered as neural signals indicating the preparation or readiness of the central nervous system to generate a specific action.
The readiness potentials were first discovered and described by the German neurophysiologist Hans Helmut Kornhuber and his colleague Lüder Deecke in the early 1960s through their experiments involving electroencephalography (EEG). They found that there is a slow-rising negative electrical potential that begins in the motor cortex before a subject consciously initiates a voluntary movement. This potential starts to increase around 1 to 1.5 seconds before the actual movement and reaches a peak just before the muscle activity commences.
The presence of readiness potentials suggests that the brain initiates the intention to move and prepares the motor cortex for action before a person becomes aware of their intention to move. These potentials have been observed for various types of movements, including both simple and complex actions. They are believed to reflect the initiation of neural processes that lead to the motor execution, including the preparation and selection of appropriate motor programs and the recruitment of muscle groups necessary for the intended action.
Readiness potentials are often used as a measure of motor preparation and planning in neuroscientific research, providing valuable insights into the timing and sequence of events that take place in the brain before movement initiation. They have also been used in clinical studies to explore motor dysfunctions and disorders, offering potential diagnostic and therapeutic applications.
Common Misspellings for READINESS POTENTIALS
- eeadiness potentials
- deadiness potentials
- feadiness potentials
- teadiness potentials
- 5eadiness potentials
- 4eadiness potentials
- rwadiness potentials
- rsadiness potentials
- rdadiness potentials
- rradiness potentials
- r4adiness potentials
- r3adiness potentials
- rezdiness potentials
- resdiness potentials
- rewdiness potentials
- reqdiness potentials
- reasiness potentials
- reaxiness potentials
- reaciness potentials
- reafiness potentials
Etymology of READINESS POTENTIALS
The word "readiness" comes from the Old English word "rediness" which means "preparedness" or "willingness". It is derived from the Middle English word "redy" which means "prepared" or "prompt". The word "potential" is derived from the Latin word "potentialis" which means "capable" or "able". In neurophysiology, the term "readiness potentials" refers to the brain's electrical activity that occurs in preparation for a voluntary movement. The etymology of "readiness potentials" combines the concept of being prepared (readiness) with the brain's potential for action.
