Primed Action: Preserving Agency while Accelerating Reaction Time via Subthreshold Brain Stimulation
summary
A system applies subthreshold TMS—single 300 µs pulses delivered near motor cortex timed before a cue—to raise neuronal excitability without causing involuntary movement. A reaction-time study finds 9 of 12 participants speed up, yielding roughly a ~8 ms speedup on average, while subjective agency scores match sham and outperform electrical muscle stimulation. A wearable VR sports demo proves the concept: faster voluntary responses, preserved intention, and feasible noninvasive integration.
AI-written summary · about