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Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation
Published on: December 31, 2013
Corticokinematic coherence during active and passive finger movements
H Piitulainen1, M Bourguignon, X De Tiège
1Brain Research Unit, O.V. Lounasmaa Laboratory and MEG Core, Aalto NeuroImaging, School of Science, Aalto University, P.O. Box 15100, FI-00076 AALTO, Espoo, Finland. harri.piitulainen@aalto.fi
Neuroscience
|February 14, 2013
Summary
Corticokinematic coherence (CKC) during finger movements is primarily driven by somatosensory input to the sensorimotor cortex. This brain-body coupling is stronger during passive movements, suggesting proprioception
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Motor Control
- Somatosensation
Background:
- Corticokinematic coherence (CKC) describes the link between brain activity (magnetoencephalography) and hand movement.
- For voluntary movements, CKC primarily originates from the primary sensorimotor (SM1) cortex.
- Understanding the interplay of motor commands and sensory feedback in CKC is crucial for motor control research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relative contributions of motor and sensory pathways to corticokinematic coherence (CKC).
- To differentiate the roles of proprioception and cutaneous sensation in generating CKC during finger movements.
- To compare CKC during active versus passive finger movements under varying tactile conditions.
Main Methods:
- Recorded CKC in 15 healthy subjects during four conditions: active-touch, active-no-touch, passive-touch, and passive-no-touch index finger movements.
- Measured finger kinematics using a 3-axis accelerometer.
- Localized brain activity using beamformer analysis and identified somatosensory cortex regions using somatosensory-evoked fields (SEFs).
Main Results:
- Significant CKC was observed at the movement frequency (F0) and its first harmonic (F1) across all conditions.
- Primary sources of CKC were located in the contralateral SM1 cortex, independent of movement condition or tactile contact.
- Coherence at F1 was significantly stronger (two-thirds) during passive movements compared to active movements, with no difference between touch and no-touch conditions.
Conclusions:
- CKC during repetitive finger movements is predominantly driven by somatosensory afferent input, particularly proprioception, to the SM1 cortex.
- Cutaneous feedback has a negligible effect on the observed CKC.
- The findings highlight the significant role of sensory feedback in shaping sensorimotor cortex activity during movement.
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