Decoupling countermands nonselective response inhibition during selective stopping

Abstract

Humans rely on their ability to stop preplanned or ongoing movements. The present study identified neural signatures of response preparation and inhibition from electroencephalography during selective stopping of coupled and decoupled bimanual responses. Stopping was more selective for decoupled compared with coupled responses and supported by lateralization of sensorimotor mu and beta power during response preparation. These findings demonstrate that decoupling may have functional significance for understanding cognitive control in the form of selective stopping.