Topography of scalp-recorded motor potentials in human finger movements

Four distinct negative events were identified in the averaged, scalp-recorded EEGs of normal subjects before and after the onset of self-paced, voluntary finger movements; reaction-time movements and passive movements were also studied. These events are the peak of the negative slope (NS'), the initial slope of motor potential (isMP), the parietal peak of motor potential (ppMP), and the frontal peak of motor potential (fpMP). For self-paced movements, NS' and isMP occurred before the onset of electromyographic (EMG) activity, and ppMP and fpMP occurred after the onset of EMG activity. NS' had a wide distribution, covering the parietal region with slight contralateral predominance. The isMP mapped focally over the contralateral hand motor area on the scalp. The location of ppMP was similar to that of isMP. The fpMP was localized anterior and medial to motor cortex with a contralateral preponderance and possible location over the supplementary motor area. The isMP and fpMP also were identified in the recordings of reaction-time movements, but only the fpMP persisted in the recordings of passive movements. The isMP appears to reflect activation of the cortical cells in the hand area of motor cortex for the execution of voluntary movement, and the fpMP appears to reflect proprioceptive feedback from the periphery.