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Related Experiment Videos

Isometric force-related activity in sensorimotor cortex measured with functional MRI

G W Thickbroom1, B A Phillips, I Morris

  • 1Australian Neuromuscular Research Institute, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA. gthickbr@cyllene.uwa.edu.au

Experimental Brain Research
|August 11, 1998
PubMed
Summary

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during finger flexion shows that greater voluntary effort expands the activated brain region. This indicates increased neuronal recruitment, not just signal intensity, in the sensorimotor cortex.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Physiology
  • Biomedical Engineering

Background:

  • Understanding the relationship between motor effort and brain activity is crucial for neuroscience and rehabilitation.
  • Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a key tool for observing brain function non-invasively.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signals in the primary sensorimotor cortex change with varying levels of voluntary isometric force.
  • To determine if increased motor effort leads to greater signal intensity or expanded cortical activation.

Main Methods:

  • Subjects performed sustained finger flexion tasks at multiple force levels up to maximum voluntary contraction.
  • fMRI data were acquired from the primary sensorimotor cortex during these tasks.

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  • Analysis focused on signal extent along the central sulcus and summed signal across voxels.

    • Main Results:

    • Increased force levels led to a greater extent of detectable fMRI signal along the central sulcus.
    • The summed fMRI signal across voxels also increased with force.
    • Individual voxel signal intensity remained relatively constant across force levels.

    Conclusions:

    • Increased voluntary isometric effort is reflected in an expansion of the fMRI signal over a larger cortical volume.
    • This expansion, rather than increased signal magnitude in a fixed region, suggests broader neuronal recruitment and potentially wider increases in oxygenated blood flow.
    • Findings provide insights into the neural mechanisms underlying motor control and effort modulation.