Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2026
05:25
An Experiment Using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and Robot-Assisted Multi-Joint Pointing Movements of the Lower Limb
Published on: June 7, 2024
Differences of the frontal activation patterns by finger and toe movements: a functional MRI study
Mi Young Lee1, Pyung-Hun Chang, Yong Hyun Kwon
1Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health and Therapy, Daegu Haany University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
Neuroscience Letters
|December 5, 2012
Summary
Physical exercise impacts cognition. This study reveals finger movements activate the primary sensory-motor cortex more, while toe movements more strongly engage the premotor and prefrontal cortex areas.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Motor Control
Background:
- Physical exercise influences cognition and frontal lobe function.
- Functional neuroimaging shows distinct cortical activation for hand versus leg movements.
- Previous research has not compared frontal activation patterns between hand and leg movements.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare frontal activation patterns during finger versus toe movements using functional MRI.
- To identify differences in brain activation within the primary sensory-motor cortex (SM1), premotor area (PMA), and prefrontal cortex (PFC).
Main Methods:
- Functional MRI (fMRI) was used on 12 healthy volunteers.
- Participants performed flexion-extension movements of fingers or toes.
- Regions of interest included SM1 (BA 1-4), PMA (BA 6), and PFC (BA 8-11, 46).
Main Results:
- Finger movements yielded greater activation in SM1 (10,809 voxels) compared to toe movements (5,349 voxels).
- Toe movements showed higher activation in PMA (4,201 voxels) and PFC (921 voxels) than finger movements (PMA: 2,887; PFC: 912).
- Relative analysis indicated greater PMA and PFC activation for toe movements compared to finger movements.
Conclusions:
- Distinct frontal activation patterns exist for finger and toe movements.
- SM1 is more activated by finger movements, whereas PMA and PFC show greater activation for toe movements.
- These findings contribute to understanding the neural basis of motor control and its relation to cognitive functions.
