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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 2, 2026

Frame-by-Frame Video Analysis of Idiosyncratic Reach-to-Grasp Movements in Humans

Frame-by-Frame Video Analysis of Idiosyncratic Reach-to-Grasp Movements in Humans

Published on: January 15, 2018

Overlapping representations for grip type and reach direction.

Sara Fabbri¹, Lukas Strnad², Alfonso Caramazza²

¹Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38100 Mattarello, Italy.

|March 22, 2014

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Brain regions involved in reaching and grasping show distinct patterns of neural selectivity. While some areas process reach direction independently, others integrate both reach and grip information, suggesting specialized motor control pathways.

Keywords:

Directional tuning Grasping MVPA Reaching Searchlight fMRI

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Motor Control
Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

Object grasping involves coordinated arm transport and hand shaping.
Previous research proposed separate neural pathways for transport and grip, but this distinction is debated.
The extent of overlap and interaction between neuronal populations for these components remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the neural representation of reach direction and grip type during object interaction.
To determine the degree of overlap and interaction between neuronal populations selective for transport and grip components.
To elucidate the functional organization of motor control areas in the human brain.

Main Methods:

Multivoxel pattern analysis (MVPA) of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data.
Analysis of center-out movements involving three grip types (touch, pincer, whole-hand) and five reach directions.
Examination of neural selectivity and interactions within various brain regions.

Main Results:

Posterior and rostral superior parietal lobes (SPLp, SPLr), supplementary motor area (SMA), and superior dorsal premotor cortex (PMDs) showed selectivity only for reach direction.
Inferior dorsal premotor cortex (PMDi), ventral premotor cortex (PMv), anterior intraparietal sulcus (aIPS), primary motor (M1), somatosensory (S1), and anterior superior parietal lobe (SPLa) exhibited selectivity for both grip type and reach direction.
PMv, M1, aIPS, and SPLa demonstrated weak interactions between transport and grip components.

Conclusions:

Human PMDi and S1 host functionally independent neuronal populations for grip and reach direction.
Information regarding grip and reach may be integrated in PMv, M1, aIPS, and SPLa.
These findings refine our understanding of the neural basis of skilled motor behavior and object interaction.