fMRI tasks to explore emotion-motor interactions

Code for fMRI tasks designed to explore emotion-motor interactions - Active Escape and Approach-Avoidance tasks. In the Active Escape task, participants watch a countdown of numbers on the screen and are then prompted to make a motor response with the goal of potentially avoiding electrical stimulation (i.e., shocks). In the Approach-Avoidance task, participants view emotional images and are instructed to use a joystick to simulate movement towards or away from the image. In these tasks, we manipulate emotional arousal to examine its effects on motor efficiency. We aim to explore how neural circuits involved in emotion processing may be leveraged to function as alternative pathways to the motor cortex, potentially shedding light on the mechanisms that drive paradoxical kinesia in individuals with Parkinson's. These tasks are led by the LEAP Neuro Lab (PI: Dr. Regina Lapate), in collaboration with the Action Lab (PI: Dr. Scott Grafton).