Neuroimaging correlates of the Halstead Finger Tapping Test several years post-traumatic brain injury

Eight healthy volunteers and seven post-acute patients with a history of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) performed the Halstead Finger Tapping Test while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Patients with TBI were on average 18.5 years post-trauma and at that time had normal or near normal tapping speeds. The fMRI analysis revealed greater bilateral frontal activation in healthy controls while tapping only in the right hand compared to patients with TBI. The maximum area of activation differences involved the supplementary motor area. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) failed to reveal signs of atrophy to explain these findings. Different patterns of brain activation in patients with TBI compared to healthy controls may be seen even when the level of behavioural performance of patients is generally within normal limits.