Professor
School of Kinesiology (KIN)
Dr. Franks’ research examines how people prepare and control their actions. One method of probing these preparation processes is to deliver a startling stimulus along with the “go” command. A brief loud sound causes a startle reflex but also triggers the release of a voluntary movement that is planned and ready to go. Because we have an understanding of the pathways responsible for the startle reflex it is possible to map movement preparation as it interacts with this reflex.
Contributions:
Maslovat, D., Klapp, S. T., Jagacinski, R. J., & Franks, I. M. (2014) “Control of Response Timing Occurs During the Simple Reaction Time Interval but On-Line for Choice Reaction Time.” Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance. Advance online publication. (http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0037522)
Stevenson, A.J.T., Chiu C., Maslovat D., Chua R., Gick, B., Blouin, J-S., and Franks, I.M. (2014) “Cortical involvement in the StartReact effect”, Neuroscience, 269, 21-34.
Maslovat, D., Chua, R., Spencer, H.C., Forgaard, C.J., Carlsen, A.N., and Franks, I.M. (2013) “Evidence for a response preparation bottleneck during dual-task performance: Effect of a startling acoustic stimulus on the psychological refractory period” Acta Psychologia, 144, 481-487.
Forgaard, C.J., Maslovat, D., Carlsen, A.N., Chua, R. and Franks, I.M. (2013) “Startle reveals independent preparation and initiation of the triphasic bursts in targeted ballistic movements” Journal of Neurophysiology, 110, 2113-2128.
Carlsen, A.N., Almeida Q.J. and Franks I.M. (2013) “Using a startling acoustic stimulus to investigate underlying mechanisms of bradykinesia in Parkinson's disease." Neuropsychologia, 51, 392-399.
Keywords:
Motor control; Startle reflex; Reaction time; Response preparation; Motor program.
ifranks@mail.ubc.ca
Departmental profile page
Departmental profile page