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Measuring and Manipulating Functionally Specific Neural Pathways in the Human Motor System with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Published on: February 23, 2020
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Large scale networks for human hand-object interaction: Functionally distinct roles for two premotor regions
Luciano Simone1, Luca Fornia1, Luca Viganò2
1Laboratory of Motor Control, Department of Medical Biotechnologies and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Humanitas Reasearch Hospital, IRCCS, Milan, Italy.
Neuroimage
|September 27, 2019
Summary
Brain mapping during surgery reveals distinct premotor cortex functions. Electrical stimulation identified "Recruitment" and "Suppression" sectors, with differing brain connectivity patterns influencing hand movements.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neurophysiology
Background:
- Awake intraoperative brain mapping allows direct testing of human brain tissue.
- Electrical stimulation of premotor cortex during hand tasks elicits specific motor responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if differing motor effects from premotor cortex stimulation correlate with distinct functional connectivity patterns.
- To explore the neural basis of hand-object interaction using intraoperative mapping and resting-state fMRI.
Main Methods:
- Utilized resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) on healthy adults from the Human Connectome Project.
- Defined two stimulation sites on the precentral cortex: a dorsal 'Recruitment sector' and a ventral 'Suppression sector'.
- Computed functional connectivity patterns using these sectors as seed regions.
Main Results:
- Both 'Recruitment' and 'Suppression' sectors showed similar overall connectivity patterns.
- The 'Recruitment' sectors exhibited stronger connections with the hand region of the sensorimotor cortex.
- The 'Suppression' region showed enhanced connectivity with parieto-frontal areas involved in sensorimotor integration for goal-directed hand actions.
Conclusions:
- Functional connectivity analysis of intraoperative stimulation sites provides insights into premotor cortex function.
- Distinct connectivity profiles of 'Recruitment' and 'Suppression' sectors highlight their specialized roles in hand motor control.
- Resting-state fMRI in healthy brains can elucidate the functional organization of premotor areas involved in hand-object interaction.
Keywords:
Direct electrical stimulationFunctional connectivityHand manipulationMotor unit recruitmentParieto-frontal systemMore Related Videos
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