Serial Reaction Time Task with fMRI
Objective: Examine the neural basis of motor skill automaticity by testing subjects in a serial reaction time task under single-task and dual-task conditions, using diminishing dual-task cost as an index of automaticity
This is a Serial Reaction Time Task with fMRI protocol using human as the model organism. The procedure involves 3 procedural steps, 1 equipment items. Extracted from a 2005 paper published in Journal of Neuroscience.
Model and subjects
human
Study window
~6 hours hands-on
Core workflow
Initial fMRI Session - Single-task and Dual-task SRT • Behavioral Training Period • Second fMRI Session - Single-task and Dual-task SRT
Primary readouts
- Dual-task cost (performance decrement when performing secondary task concurrently with SRT)
- Neural activation patterns in frontal regions (bilateral ventral premotor regions, right middle frontal gyrus, right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex)
- Neural activation patterns in striatal regions (right caudate body, putamen, globus pallidus)
- Neural activation patterns in parietal lobe
Key equipment and reagents
Use this page as an execution guide, then fall back to the source paper whenever you need exact exclusions, dosing details, or assay-specific caveats.
Confirm first
- Verify the animal model, intervention setup, and collection timepoints against the source paper.
- Check that every direct vendor link matches the exact specification your lab plans to run.
Use the page like this
- Work through the protocol steps in order and use the inline vendor chips only when you need to source or verify an item.
- Jump to Experimental Context for readouts, data shape, and analysis flow before planning downstream analysis.
Protocol Steps
Start here. The step list is optimized for running the experiment, with direct vendor links available inline when you need to source a cited item.
Initial fMRI Session - Single-task and Dual-task SRT
Subjects performed the serial reaction time task during the first functional MRI session under both single-task and dual-task conditions to establish baseline neural activation patterns before behavioral training
Note: This session establishes pre-training neural correlates of dual-task performance
View evidence from paper
“Before behavioral training, performance of the SRT task concurrently with the secondary task elicited activation in a wide network of frontal and striatal regions, as well as parietal lobe”
Behavioral Training Period
Subjects underwent 3 hours of behavioral training on the serial reaction time task over multiple days between the two fMRI sessions
Note: This training period allows subjects to develop automaticity in the SRT task
View evidence from paper
“Subjects performed the SRT task during two functional magnetic imaging sessions separated by 3 h of behavioral training over multiple days”
Second fMRI Session - Single-task and Dual-task SRT
Subjects performed the serial reaction time task during the second functional MRI session under both single-task and dual-task conditions after completing the behavioral training period
Note: This session measures post-training neural activation patterns to assess changes associated with automaticity development
View evidence from paper
“After extensive behavioral training, dual-task performance showed comparatively less activity in bilateral ventral premotor regions, right middle frontal gyrus, and right caudate body”