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Differentiating the Brain's involvement in Executed and Imagined Stepping using fMRI.
Adrienne Kline1, Daniel Pittman2, Janet Ronsky3
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Behavioural Brain Research
|July 28, 2020
Summary
Executing and imagining lower limb movement activates distinct brain areas. Imagined stepping recruits additional sensory-motor regions for movement control and integration, unlike executed stepping.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Motor Control
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Background:
- Stepping, a cyclical lower limb movement, primarily engages brain areas for motor control and smooth movement integration.
- Imagining movement may recruit additional sensory-motor areas involved in initiating and inhibiting actions, resembling discrete movement patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and delineate the specific brain regions activated during both the execution and imagination of lower limb movement.
- To compare the neural activation patterns between executed and imagined stepping tasks.
Main Methods:
- 16 participants performed and imagined stepping movements (hip, knee, ankle) while viewing a visual stimulus of walking.
- A block design fMRI study was employed, alternating 18-second task blocks with 18-second rest blocks.
Main Results:
- Executed stepping predominantly activated sensory-motor areas.
- Imagined stepping additionally activated brain regions associated with movement control, inhibition, and sensory-motor integration, including parietal and occipital areas.
Conclusions:
- Both executed and imagined lower limb movements activate distinct, yet overlapping, neural networks.
- Findings enhance understanding of the neural basis of motor imagery and its relationship to actual movement execution.
