Pre-go beta power did not predict reaction time within fast or slow blocks in eight SEEG patients

We tested whether beta power (14–30 Hz) in the 0.3 s before a go cue predicted reaction time (RT) in the OpenNeuro ds004473 SlowFast task. The analysis used 1,977 trials and 834 bipolar pairs from eight SEEG patients. Among 73 pairs in seven patients with a movement-related beta decrease, the mean subject Fisher z for the partial Spearman relation between pre-go beta and RT, calculated within fast and slow conditions with trial number and ISI duration as covariates, was +0.003 (bootstrap 95% CI −0.037 to +0.045; one-sided exact sign-flip p = 0.42). Three of seven subjects had positive values; only sub-1 had a within-subject effect (z = +0.098; RT-permutation p = 0.002). Secondary tests were largely null. High gamma in all pairs had a positive association (z = +0.012; 7 of 8 subjects positive; p = 0.016, Holm p = 0.094), opposite to the planned direction, and is not claimed as an effect. The fast/slow instruction did not change RT (+6 ms mean; p = 0.60). This small clinical SEEG sample, mostly temporal and limbic contacts, few selected pairs in four subjects, and noisy beta estimates from the short window limit inference.

SEEG · beta power · reaction time · motor preparation · OpenNeuro · replication