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Related Experiment Videos

Bimanual versus unimanual coordination: what makes the difference?

Susan Koeneke1, Kai Lutz, Torsten Wüstenberg

  • 1Department of Neuropsychology, University of Zurich, CH-8032 Zürich, Switzerland.

Neuroimage
|June 29, 2004
PubMed
Summary

The brain network controlling coordinated movements is similar for both single and double limb actions. Task difficulty, not bimanuality, appears to be the key factor in brain activation patterns.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Motor Control
  • Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

  • Neuronal control of bimanual coordination involves a widespread network.
  • Previous studies suggest involvement of sensorimotor cortices, premotor cortices, and cerebellum.
  • Appropriate unimanual control tasks are crucial for accurate comparisons.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the neuronal structures controlling bimanual coordination using fMRI.
  • To compare brain activation patterns during unimanual and bimanual visuomotor tasks.
  • To determine if specific networks are unique to bimanual actions.

Main Methods:

  • Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was employed.
  • Subjects performed unimanual and bimanual visuomotor coordination tasks.

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  • Cursor navigation on a computer screen served as the primary task.

    • Main Results:

    • Similar brain activation networks were identified for both unimanual and bimanual movements.
    • Bilateral activations were observed in premotor cortex (PMC), supplementary motor area (SMA), posterior-parietal cortex (PPC), occipital, and inferiotemporal cortex.
    • Contralateral primary sensorimotor cortex (M1/S1) and ipsilateral cerebellum (CB) also showed activation.
    • No additional activation was found when comparing bimanual to unimanual conditions.
    • Stronger activations were observed for unimanual tasks compared to bimanual tasks.

    Conclusions:

    • The identified neuronal network is responsible for both unimanual and bimanual coordinated movements.
    • Task difficulty, rather than bimanuality itself, may be a more significant factor in determining brain activation.
    • Bimanual control of the visuomotor task appeared less demanding than unimanual control.