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Interhemispheric control of manual motor activity
G M Geffen1, D L Jones, L B Geffen
1Department of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Behavioural Brain Research
|October 20, 1994
Summary
The corpus callosum is not crucial for explicit motor commands but aids in transferring pre-motor information between brain hemispheres. It also helps coordinate bimanual movements and prevent interference during unimanual actions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Motor Control
- Interhemispheric Communication
Background:
- The corpus callosum facilitates communication between the brain's cerebral hemispheres.
- Understanding its role in manual motor control is crucial for neurological research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the interhemispheric control of manual motor processes.
- To examine the corpus callosum's function using clinical evidence from patients with specific brain conditions.
Main Methods:
- Review of clinical evidence from patients with commissurotomies (surgical separation of hemispheres) and agenesis of the corpus callosum (congenital absence).
Main Results:
- Limited evidence supports the corpus callosum's role in transferring explicit motor commands.
- The corpus callosum is vital for transmitting lateralized pre-motor information (verbal, visuospatial).
- It plays a significant role in movement initiation, involving transcallosal signals for coordinating asynchronous bimanual movements and inhibiting contralateral interference.
Conclusions:
- The corpus callosum's primary function in motor control involves facilitating interhemispheric information transfer, not direct command transmission.
- It is essential for complex motor coordination and hemispheric interaction during manual tasks.