The effects of haloperidol on motor vigour and movement fusion during sequential reaching.

Reward is a powerful tool to enhance human motor behaviour with previous research showing that during a sequential reaching movement, a monetary incentive leads to increased speed of each movement (motor vigour effect), whilst reward-based performance feedback increases the speed of transition betwe...

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Main Authors: Sebastian Sporn, Joseph M Galea
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0316894
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author Sebastian Sporn
Joseph M Galea
author_facet Sebastian Sporn
Joseph M Galea
author_sort Sebastian Sporn
collection DOAJ
description Reward is a powerful tool to enhance human motor behaviour with previous research showing that during a sequential reaching movement, a monetary incentive leads to increased speed of each movement (motor vigour effect), whilst reward-based performance feedback increases the speed of transition between movements (movement fusion effect). The neurotransmitter dopamine plays a central role in the processing of reward signals and has been implicated to modulate motor vigour and regulate movement fusion. However, in humans, it is unclear if the same dopaminergic mechanism underlies both processes. To address this, we used a complex sequential reaching task in which rewards were based on movement times (MT). Crucially, MTs could be reduced via: 1) enhanced speed of individual movements (motor vigour effect) and/or 2) enhanced speed of transition between movements (movement fusion effect). 95 participants were randomly assigned to a reward or no reward group and were given either 2.5mg of the dopamine antagonist haloperidol or a placebo (control group). An independent decision-making task performed prior to the main experiment suggested that haloperidol was active during the sequential reaching task (positive control). We did not find evidence that haloperidol affected the facilitatory effects of reward on movement fusion. However, we found that haloperidol negated the reward-based effects on motor vigour. Therefore, our results suggest that a D2-antagonist differentially influences reward-based effects on movement vigour and movement fusion, indicating that the dopaminergic mechanisms underlying these two processes may be distinct.
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spelling doaj-art-fc9b956c24aa449ab136200d579e252c2025-02-07T05:30:41ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032025-01-01201e031689410.1371/journal.pone.0316894The effects of haloperidol on motor vigour and movement fusion during sequential reaching.Sebastian SpornJoseph M GaleaReward is a powerful tool to enhance human motor behaviour with previous research showing that during a sequential reaching movement, a monetary incentive leads to increased speed of each movement (motor vigour effect), whilst reward-based performance feedback increases the speed of transition between movements (movement fusion effect). The neurotransmitter dopamine plays a central role in the processing of reward signals and has been implicated to modulate motor vigour and regulate movement fusion. However, in humans, it is unclear if the same dopaminergic mechanism underlies both processes. To address this, we used a complex sequential reaching task in which rewards were based on movement times (MT). Crucially, MTs could be reduced via: 1) enhanced speed of individual movements (motor vigour effect) and/or 2) enhanced speed of transition between movements (movement fusion effect). 95 participants were randomly assigned to a reward or no reward group and were given either 2.5mg of the dopamine antagonist haloperidol or a placebo (control group). An independent decision-making task performed prior to the main experiment suggested that haloperidol was active during the sequential reaching task (positive control). We did not find evidence that haloperidol affected the facilitatory effects of reward on movement fusion. However, we found that haloperidol negated the reward-based effects on motor vigour. Therefore, our results suggest that a D2-antagonist differentially influences reward-based effects on movement vigour and movement fusion, indicating that the dopaminergic mechanisms underlying these two processes may be distinct.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0316894
spellingShingle Sebastian Sporn
Joseph M Galea
The effects of haloperidol on motor vigour and movement fusion during sequential reaching.
PLoS ONE
title The effects of haloperidol on motor vigour and movement fusion during sequential reaching.
title_full The effects of haloperidol on motor vigour and movement fusion during sequential reaching.
title_fullStr The effects of haloperidol on motor vigour and movement fusion during sequential reaching.
title_full_unstemmed The effects of haloperidol on motor vigour and movement fusion during sequential reaching.
title_short The effects of haloperidol on motor vigour and movement fusion during sequential reaching.
title_sort effects of haloperidol on motor vigour and movement fusion during sequential reaching
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0316894
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