Which component of reaction time corresponds to the onset of muscle activity?

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Multiple Choice

Which component of reaction time corresponds to the onset of muscle activity?

Reaction time gets split into two main phases: neural processing before muscle activation and the actual muscle activation that leads to movement. The moment the muscles start to activate is detected as EMG onset. That point marks the beginning of the motor execution phase, because from EMG onset to the start of movement you’re dealing with the peripheral processes that translate neural signals into muscle force. Movement time then covers the period from when movement begins to when it ends, and overall reaction time is the entire span from the stimulus to movement completion. So the interval that corresponds to the onset of muscle activity is the motor time.

Reaction time gets split into two main phases: neural processing before muscle activation and the actual muscle activation that leads to movement. The moment the muscles start to activate is detected as EMG onset. That point marks the beginning of the motor execution phase, because from EMG onset to the start of movement you’re dealing with the peripheral processes that translate neural signals into muscle force. Movement time then covers the period from when movement begins to when it ends, and overall reaction time is the entire span from the stimulus to movement completion. So the interval that corresponds to the onset of muscle activity is the motor time.

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