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Brain activity correlates differentially with increasing temporal complexity of rhythms during initialisation , synchronisation , and continuation phases of paced finger tapping . Activity in parts of the human motor system has been shown to correlate with the complexity of performed motor sequences in terms of the number of limbs moved , number of movements , and number of trajectories . Here , we searched for activity correlating with temporal complexity , in terms of the number of different intervals produced in the sequence , using an overlearned tapping task . Our task was divided into three phases : movement selection and initiation ( initiate ) , synchronisation of finger tapping with an external auditory cue ( synchronise ) , and continued tapping in absence of the auditory pacer ( continue ) . Comparisons between synchronisation and continuation showed a pattern in keeping with prior neuroimaging studies of paced finger tapping . Thus , activation of bilateral SMA and basal ganglia was greater in continuation tapping than in synchronisation tapping . Parametric analysis revealed activity correlating with temporal complexity during initiate in bilateral supplementary and pre-supplementary motor cortex ( SMA and preSMA ) , rostral dorsal premotor cortex ( PMC ) , basal ganglia , and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex ( DLPFC ) , among other areas . During synchronise , correlated activity was observed in bilateral SMA , more caudal dorsal and ventral PMC , right DLPFC and right primary motor cortex . No correlated activity was observed during continue at P < 0.01 ( corrected , cluster level ) , though left angular gyrus was active at P < 0.05 . We suggest that the preSMA and rostral dorsal PMC activities during initiate may be associated with selection of timing parameters , while activation in centromedial prefrontal cortex during both initiate and synchronise may be associated with temporal error monitoring or correction . The absence of activity significantly correlated with temporal complexity during continue suggests that , once an overlearned timed movement sequence has been selected and initiated , there is no further adjustment of the timing control processes related to its continued production in absence of external cues .
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Intervention_Physical
paced finger tapping
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Intervention_Physical
movement selection and initiation ( initiate ) , synchronisation of finger tapping with an external auditory cue ( synchronise )
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Intervention_Physical
continued tapping in absence of the auditory pacer
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Intervention_Physical
continuation
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Intervention_Physical
synchronisation
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Outcome_Physical
Brain activity
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Outcome_Physical
Activity in parts of the human motor system
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Outcome_Physical
activation of bilateral SMA and basal ganglia
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Participant_Condition
Brain activity correlates
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Participant_Condition
paced finger tapping