Motor functions and cognitive processes are closely associated with each other. In humans, this linkage is reflected in motor system state changes both when an action must be prepared and stopped. Single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation showed that both action preparation and action stopping are accompanied by a reduction of corticospinal excitability, referred to as preparatory and response inhibition, respectively. While previous efforts have been made to describe both phenomena extensively, an updated and comprehensive comparison of the two phenomena is lacking. To ameliorate such deficit, this review focuses on the role and interpretation of single-coil (single-pulse and paired-pulse) and dual-coil TMS outcome measures during action preparation and action stopping in humans. To that effect, it aims to identify commonalities and differences, detailing how TMS-based outcome measures are affected by states, traits, and psychopathologies in both processes. Eventually, findings will be compared, and open questions will be addressed to aid future research.

运动功能和认知过程彼此密切相关。对于人类来说，这种联系反映在必须准备和停止动作时运动系统状态的变化。单脉冲经颅磁刺激表明，动作准备和动作停止都伴随着皮质脊髓兴奋性的降低，分别称为准备抑制和反应抑制。虽然以前已经努力广泛描述这两种现象，但缺乏对这两种现象的更新和全面的比较。为了改善这种缺陷，本综述重点关注单线圈（单脉冲和双脉冲）和双线圈 TMS 结果测量在人类动作准备和动作停止过程中的作用和解释。为此，它旨在确定共同点和差异，详细说明基于 TMS 的结果测量如何受到两个过程中的状态、特征和精神病理学的影响。最终，将对研究结果进行比较，并解决悬而未决的问题以帮助未来的研究。