[Functional magnetic resonance imaging of whole brain related to motor preparation and execution]

To investigate the roles the different functional activation areas in whole human brain related to movement play during motor preparation (CUE) and execution (GO).

Event-related functional MRI technique was used on 12 right-handed healthy subjects to record the brain activation in a manner of delayed sequential finger movement. Activation maps and time-signal intensity curves were generated.

Bilateral anterior parts of supplementary motor area (Pre-SMA), bilateral posterior parietal cortex (PPC), and bilateral anterior premotor cortex (PMC) were strongly activated during the preparation period, while bilateral SMA proper, and contralateral primary motor cortex (M1) were strongly activated during the execution period, Cerebellar cortex was activated during both periods. The time-signal intensity curves based on single voxel indicated that above-mentioned brain areas were activated during both periods to different degrees; however, the characteristics of distribution in every area were different.

The brain areas related to movement are activated differently during preparation period and execution period, areas close to M1 participate in the motor execution process mainly, and the areas away from M1 are concerned with motor preparation process chiefly.