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Furuta T, Morita T, Miura G, Naito E. Structural and functional features characterizing the brains of individuals with higher controllability of motor imagery. Sci Rep 2024; 14:17243. [PMID: 39060339 PMCID: PMC11282224 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-68425-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Motor imagery is a higher-order cognitive brain function that mentally simulates movements without performing the actual physical one. Although motor imagery has attracted the interest of many researchers, and mental practice utilizing motor imagery has been widely used in sports training and post-stroke rehabilitation, neural bases that determine individual differences in motor imagery ability are not well understood. In this study, using controllability of motor imagery (CMI) test that can objectively evaluate individual ability to manipulate one's imaginary postures, we examined structural and functional features characterizing the brains of individuals with higher controllability of motor imagery, by analyzing T1-weighted structural MRI data obtained from 89 participants and functional MRI data obtained from 28 of 89 participants. The higher CMI test scorers had larger volume in the bilateral superior frontoparietal white matter regions. The CMI test activated the bilateral dorsal premotor cortex (PMD) and superior parietal lobule (SPL); specifically, the left PMD and/or the right SPL enhanced functional coupling with the visual body, somatosensory, and motor/kinesthetic areas in the higher scorers. Hence, controllability of motor imagery is higher for those who well-develop superior frontoparietal network, and for those whose this network accesses these sensory areas to predict the expected multisensory experiences during motor imagery. This study elucidated for the first time the structural and functional features characterizing the brains of individuals with higher controllability of motor imagery, and advanced understanding of individual differences in motor imagery ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoya Furuta
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), 1-4 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tomoyo Morita
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), 1-4 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Gen Miura
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), 1-4 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Eiichi Naito
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), 1-4 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
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Hao F, Shi L, Sun Q, Che L, Jiang Y, Huang Z, Cheng X, Fan Z, Ding X. Space-time mapping on the sagittal axis in congenital blindness. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2024; 88:338-347. [PMID: 37620731 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-023-01871-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Previous evolutionary perspectives proposed that the space-time mapping on the sagittal axis originates from visuo-locomotion coupling when walking/running forward. Accordingly, the congenitally blind could not have developed a sagittal mental timeline if the latter depends on such a visuo-locomotion coupling. However, this conclusion was reached in only a single empirical study (Rinaldi et al. in J Exp Psychol General 147:444-450, 2018), and its theoretical underpinnings are not entirely convincing as locally static and continuous auditory input undergoes a relatively similar change as function of self-locomotion, but this type of sensory-locomotion coupling is spared even in congenital blindness. Therefore, the present study systematically explored whether the congenitally blind show space-time mappings on the sagittal axis using different paradigms in three experiments. In Experiment 1, using a typical implicit RT task, the congenitally blind showed the same preferred space-time mapping in the sagittal dimension as normally sighted participants did. In Experiment 2, this space-time mapping occurred even automatically when temporal relations were task-irrelevant in a naming task. In Experiment 3, in an explicit space-time mapping task, the congenitally blind were more likely to locate the past behind and the future in front of their bodies. Moreover, most blind participants used spatial metaphors for their space-time mapping on the sagittal axis. These results supported the conclusion that the congenitally blind have a sagittal mental timeline, and that their sensory-locomotion coupling experience was either more similar to that of sighted participants or not critical for the space-time mapping. The present study, thus, also helps to clarify the origin of the sagittal mental timeline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengxiao Hao
- School of Psychology, Central China Normal University (CCNU), Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Lingzheng Shi
- School of Psychology, Central China Normal University (CCNU), Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Qiang Sun
- School of Psychology, Central China Normal University (CCNU), Wuhan, 430079, China
- Mental Health Education Center, Fuyang Institute of Technology, Fuyang, China
| | - Lu Che
- Xi'an Blind and Deafmute School, Xi'an, China
| | - Yuewen Jiang
- School of Psychology, Central China Normal University (CCNU), Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Zhenyi Huang
- School of Psychology, Central China Normal University (CCNU), Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Xiaorong Cheng
- School of Psychology, Central China Normal University (CCNU), Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Zhao Fan
- School of Psychology, Central China Normal University (CCNU), Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Xianfeng Ding
- School of Psychology, Central China Normal University (CCNU), Wuhan, 430079, China.
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Kwon S, Kim J, Kim T. Neuropsychological Activations and Networks While Performing Visual and Kinesthetic Motor Imagery. Brain Sci 2023; 13:983. [PMID: 37508915 PMCID: PMC10377687 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13070983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to answer the questions 'What are the neural networks and mechanisms involved in visual and kinesthetic motor imagery?', and 'Is part of cognitive processing included during visual and kinesthetic motor imagery?' by investigating the neurophysiological networks and activations during visual and kinesthetic motor imagery using motor imagery tasks (golf putting). The experiment was conducted with 19 healthy adults. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to examine neural activations and networks during visual and kinesthetic motor imagery using golf putting tasks. The findings of the analysis on cerebral activation patterns based on the two distinct types of motor imagery indicate that the posterior lobe, occipital lobe, and limbic lobe exhibited activation, and the right hemisphere was activated during the process of visual motor imagery. The activation of the temporal lobe and the parietal lobe were observed during the process of kinesthetic motor imagery. This study revealed that visual motor imagery elicited stronger activation in the right frontal lobe, whereas kinesthetic motor imagery resulted in greater activation in the left frontal lobe. It seems that kinesthetic motor imagery activates the primary somatosensory cortex (BA 2), the secondary somatosensory cortex (BA 5 and 7), and the temporal lobe areas and induces human sensibility. The present investigation evinced that the neural network and the regions of the brain that are activated exhibit variability contingent on the category of motor imagery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sechang Kwon
- Department of Humanities & Arts, Korea Science Academy of KAIST, 105-47, Baegyanggwanmun-ro, Busanjin-gu, Busan 47162, Republic of Korea
- Global Institute for Talented Education, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291, Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jingu Kim
- Department of Physical Education, Kyungpook National University, 80 Daehak-ro, Buk-gu, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Teri Kim
- Institute of Sports Science, Kyungpook National University, 80 Daehak-ro, Buk-gu, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
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Breitinger E, Dundon NM, Pokorny L, Wunram HL, Roessner V, Bender S. Contingent negative variation to tactile stimuli - differences in anticipatory and preparatory processes between participants with and without blindness. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:7582-7594. [PMID: 36977633 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
People who are blind demonstrate remarkable abilities within the spared senses and compensatory enhancement of cognitive skills, underscored by substantial plastic reorganization in relevant neural areas. However, little is known about whether people with blindness form top-down models of the world on short timescales more efficiently to guide goal-oriented behavior. This electroencephalography study investigates this hypothesis at the neurophysiological level, focusing on contingent negative variation (CNV) as a marker of anticipatory and preparatory processes prior to expected events. In sum, 20 participants with blindness and 27 sighted participants completed a classic CNV task and a memory CNV task, both containing tactile stimuli to exploit the expertise of the former group. Although the reaction times in the classic CNV task did not differ between groups, participants who are blind reached higher performance rates in the memory task. This superior performance co-occurred with a distinct neurophysiological profile, relative to controls: greater late CNV amplitudes over central areas, suggesting enhanced stimulus expectancy and motor preparation prior to key events. Controls, in contrast, recruited more frontal sites, consistent with inefficient sensory-aligned control. We conclude that in more demanding cognitive contexts exploiting the spared senses, people with blindness efficiently generate task-relevant internal models to facilitate behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Breitinger
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Germany
| | - Neil M Dundon
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University of Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA
| | - Lena Pokorny
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Germany
| | - Heidrun L Wunram
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Germany
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Germany
| | - Veit Roessner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital C. G. Carus, Germany
| | - Stephan Bender
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Germany
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Korivand S, Jalili N, Gong J. Experiment protocols for brain-body imaging of locomotion: A systematic review. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1051500. [PMID: 36937690 PMCID: PMC10014824 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1051500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Human locomotion is affected by several factors, such as growth and aging, health conditions, and physical activity levels for maintaining overall health and well-being. Notably, impaired locomotion is a prevalent cause of disability, significantly impacting the quality of life of individuals. The uniqueness and high prevalence of human locomotion have led to a surge of research to develop experimental protocols for studying the brain substrates, muscle responses, and motion signatures associated with locomotion. However, from a technical perspective, reproducing locomotion experiments has been challenging due to the lack of standardized protocols and benchmarking tools, which impairs the evaluation of research quality and the validation of previous findings. Methods This paper addresses the challenges by conducting a systematic review of existing neuroimaging studies on human locomotion, focusing on the settings of experimental protocols, such as locomotion intensity, duration, distance, adopted brain imaging technologies, and corresponding brain activation patterns. Also, this study provides practical recommendations for future experiment protocols. Results The findings indicate that EEG is the preferred neuroimaging sensor for detecting brain activity patterns, compared to fMRI, fNIRS, and PET. Walking is the most studied human locomotion task, likely due to its fundamental nature and status as a reference task. In contrast, running has received little attention in research. Additionally, cycling on an ergometer at a speed of 60 rpm using fNIRS has provided some research basis. Dual-task walking tasks are typically used to observe changes in cognitive function. Moreover, research on locomotion has primarily focused on healthy individuals, as this is the scenario most closely resembling free-living activity in real-world environments. Discussion Finally, the paper outlines the standards and recommendations for setting up future experiment protocols based on the review findings. It discusses the impact of neurological and musculoskeletal factors, as well as the cognitive and locomotive demands, on the experiment design. It also considers the limitations imposed by the sensing techniques used, including the acceptable level of motion artifacts in brain-body imaging experiments and the effects of spatial and temporal resolutions on brain sensor performance. Additionally, various experiment protocol constraints that need to be addressed and analyzed are explained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soroush Korivand
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
- Department of Computer Science, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
| | - Nader Jalili
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
| | - Jiaqi Gong
- Department of Computer Science, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
- *Correspondence: Jiaqi Gong
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Morita T, Hirose S, Kimura N, Takemura H, Asada M, Naito E. Hyper-Adaptation in the Human Brain: Functional and Structural Changes in the Foot Section of the Primary Motor Cortex in a Top Wheelchair Racing Paralympian. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:780652. [PMID: 35498215 PMCID: PMC9039206 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.780652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The human brain has the capacity to drastically alter its somatotopic representations in response to congenital or acquired limb deficiencies and dysfunctions. The main purpose of the present study was to elucidate such extreme adaptability in the brain of an active top wheelchair racing Paralympian (participant P1) who has congenital paraplegia (dysfunction of bilateral lower limbs). Participant P1 has undergone long-term wheelchair racing training using bilateral upper limbs and has won a total of 19 medals in six consecutive summer Paralympic games as of 2021. We examined the functional and structural changes in the foot section of the primary motor cortex (M1) in participant P1 as compared to able-bodied control participants. We also examined the functional and structural changes in three other individuals (participants P2, P3, and P4) with acquired paraplegia, who also had long-term non-use period of the lower limbs and had undergone long-term training for wheelchair sports (but not top athletes at the level of participant P1). We measured brain activity in all the participants using functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) when bimanual wrist extension-flexion movement was performed, and the structural MRI images were collected. Compared to 37 control participants, participant P1 showed significantly greater activity in the M1 foot section during the bimanual task, and significant local GM expansion in this section. Significantly greater activity in the M1 foot section was also observed in participant P4, but not in P2 and P3, and the significant local GM expansion was observed in participant P2, but not in P3 and P4. Thus, functional or structural change was observed in an acquired paraplegic participant, but was not observed in all the paraplegic participants. The functional and structural changes typically observed in participant P1 may represent extreme adaptability of the human brain. We discuss the results in terms of a new idea of hyper-adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoyo Morita
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Osaka, Japan
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Satoshi Hirose
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Osaka, Japan
- Otemon Gakuin University, Faculty of Psychology, Osaka, Japan
| | - Nodoka Kimura
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Osaka, Japan
| | - Hiromasa Takemura
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Osaka, Japan
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- Division of Sensory and Cognitive Brain Mapping, Department of System Neuroscience, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Japan
- Department of Physiological Sciences, School of Life Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Minoru Asada
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Osaka, Japan
- Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- International Professional University of Technology in Osaka, Osaka, Japan
| | - Eiichi Naito
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Osaka, Japan
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
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Existence of Interhemispheric Inhibition between Foot Sections of Human Primary Motor Cortices: Evidence from Negative Blood Oxygenation-Level Dependent Signal. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11081099. [PMID: 34439718 PMCID: PMC8393214 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11081099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Interhemispheric inhibition (IHI) between the left and right primary motor cortices (M1) plays an important role when people perform an isolated unilateral limb movement. Moreover, negative blood oxygenation-level dependent signal (deactivation) obtained from the M1 ipsilateral to the limb could be a surrogate IHI marker. Studies have reported deactivation in the hand section of the ipsilateral M1 during simple unilateral hand movement. However, deactivation in the foot section during unilateral foot movement has not been reported. Therefore, IHI between the foot sections of the bilateral M1s has been considered very weak or absent. Thirty-seven healthy adults performed active control of the right foot and also passively received vibration to the tendon of the tibialis anterior muscle of the right foot, which activates the foot section of the contralateral M1, with brain activity being examined through functional magnetic resonance imaging. The vibration and active tasks significantly and non-significantly, respectively, deactivated the foot section of the ipsilateral M1, with a corresponding 86% and 60% of the participants showing decreased activity. Thus, there could be IHI between the foot sections of the bilateral M1s. Further, our findings demonstrate between-task differences and similarities in cross-somatotopic deactivation.
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A F, M I, L T, G M, D C, L P, Mc G, L G, C B. Dynamic locomotor imagery in athletes with severe visual impairments. NEW IDEAS IN PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.newideapsych.2021.100855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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Schott N, Haibach-Beach P, Knöpfle I, Neuberger V. The effects of visual impairment on motor imagery in children and adolescents. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2021; 109:103835. [PMID: 33477083 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While the development of motor imagery (MI) has been extensively studied in sighted children, it is not clear how children with different severities of visual impairment (VI) represent motor actions by using the motor representations constructed through the remaining intact senses, especially touch. AIMS Mental chronometry and generation/manipulation of MI were examined in children with and without VI. METHODS AND PROCEDURES Participants included 64 youth with and without VI (33 without visual impairments, 14 moderate-to-severe, and 17 blind). Mental chronometry was assessed with the imagined Timed-Up-and-Go-Test (iTUG), and generation/manipulation of MI with the Controllability-of-Motor-Imagery-Test (CMI). In addition, the effect of working memory performance (Letter-Number-Sequencing) and physical activity upon MI were evaluated. RESULTS Mental duration for the iTUG was significantly shorter than the active durations. Results also provided evidence of better haptic representation than motor representation in all participants; however, only for the CMI-regeneration condition controls outperformed children with visual impairments and blindness (CVIB). Exercise and working memory performance showed a significant contribution only on a few MI tests. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Our results suggest a possible relationship between motor performance, body representation deficits and visual impairment which needs to be addressed in the evaluation and treatment of CVIB. The design of new rehabilitation interventions that focus on strengthening adequate body perception and representation should be proposed and tested to promote motor development in CVIB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadja Schott
- Department of Sport Psychology & Human Movement Science, Institute for Sport and Exercise Science, University of Stuttgart, Germany.
| | - Pamela Haibach-Beach
- Department of Kinesiology, Sport Studies, and Physical Education, The College at Brockport-State University of New York, USA
| | - Insa Knöpfle
- Department of Sport Psychology & Human Movement Science, Institute for Sport and Exercise Science, University of Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Verena Neuberger
- Department of Sport Psychology & Human Movement Science, Institute for Sport and Exercise Science, University of Stuttgart, Germany
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