Task-Based Functional Connectivity and Blood-Oxygen-Level-Dependent Activation During Within-Scanner Performance of...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Motor Control
• Neuroimaging

Background:

• Limited neuroimaging studies exist on lumbopelvic motor control.
• Previous research often uses transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) focusing on the motor cortex.
• Understanding brain activation and functional connectivity during lumbopelvic movements is lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine brain activation and task-based functional connectivity during lumbopelvic movements using fMRI.
• To investigate differences in neural activation during bilateral and unilateral bridging tasks.
• To identify the functional connectivity of motor networks involved in lumbopelvic control.

Main Methods:

• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used on 19 healthy adults.
• Participants performed three lumbopelvic movements: bilateral bridge, left unilateral bridge, and right unilateral bridge.
• Whole-brain analysis and region-of-interest (ROI)-to-ROI functional connectivity analysis were performed.

Main Results:

• Whole-brain analysis revealed bilateral motor region activation during bilateral bridging and contralateral activation during unilateral bridging.
• ROI-to-ROI analysis identified significant functional connectivity within a motor network (supplemental motor area, precentral gyrus, cerebellum) across all tasks.
• Task-based functional connectivity remained consistent despite variations in brain activation patterns.

Conclusions:

• Lumbopelvic movements elicit distinct brain activation patterns but show consistent functional connectivity in key motor areas.
• The findings provide a baseline for comparing neural activity in individuals with and without low back pain.
• This research contributes to understanding the neurophysiological basis of lumbopelvic motor control.