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Bonzano L, Tacchino A, Roccatagliata L, Inglese M, Mancardi GL, Novellino A, Bove M. An engineered glove for investigating the neural correlates of finger movements using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Front Hum Neurosci 2015; 9:503. [PMID: 26441600 PMCID: PMC4568337 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Accepted: 08/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective measurement of concomitant finger motor performance is recommended for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies investigating brain activity during finger tapping tasks, because performance modality and ability can influence the selection of different neural networks. In this study, we present a novel glove system for quantitative evaluation of finger opposition movements during fMRI (called Glove Analyzer for fMRI, GAF). Several tests for magnetic resonance (MR) compatibility were performed concerning magnet forces, image artifacts and right functioning of the system. Then, pilot fMRI of finger opposition tasks were conducted at 1.5T and 3T to investigate the neural correlates of sequences of finger opposition movements with the right hand, with simultaneous behavioral recording by means of GAF. All the MR compatibility tests succeeded, and the fMRI analysis revealed mainly the activation of the left sensorimotor areas and right cerebellum, regions that are known to be involved in finger movements. No artifactual clusters were detected in the activation maps. At the same time, through the parameters calculated by GAF it was possible to describe the sensorimotor strategy adopted by the subjects during the required task. Thus, the proposed device resulted to be MR compatible and can be useful for future fMRI studies investigating the neural correlates of finger opposition movements, allowing follow-up studies and comparisons among different groups of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Bonzano
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa Genoa, Italy ; Magnetic Resonance Research Centre on Nervous System Diseases, University of Genoa Genoa, Italy
| | - Andrea Tacchino
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology, University of Genoa Genoa, Italy
| | - Luca Roccatagliata
- Magnetic Resonance Research Centre on Nervous System Diseases, University of Genoa Genoa, Italy ; Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa Genoa, Italy
| | - Matilde Inglese
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa Genoa, Italy ; Magnetic Resonance Research Centre on Nervous System Diseases, University of Genoa Genoa, Italy ; Department of Neurology, Radiology, Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York, NY, USA
| | - Giovanni Luigi Mancardi
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa Genoa, Italy ; Magnetic Resonance Research Centre on Nervous System Diseases, University of Genoa Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Marco Bove
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology, University of Genoa Genoa, Italy
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Neural activation and functional connectivity during motor imagery of bimanual everyday actions. PLoS One 2012; 7:e38506. [PMID: 22701655 PMCID: PMC3368848 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0038506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2011] [Accepted: 05/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Bimanual actions impose intermanual coordination demands not present during unimanual actions. We investigated the functional neuroanatomical correlates of these coordination demands in motor imagery (MI) of everyday actions using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). For this, 17 participants imagined unimanual actions with the left and right hand as well as bimanual actions while undergoing fMRI. A univariate fMRI analysis showed no reliable cortical activations specific to bimanual MI, indicating that intermanual coordination demands in MI are not associated with increased neural processing. A functional connectivity analysis based on psychophysiological interactions (PPI), however, revealed marked increases in connectivity between parietal and premotor areas within and between hemispheres. We conclude that in MI of everyday actions intermanual coordination demands are primarily met by changes in connectivity between areas and only moderately, if at all, by changes in the amount of neural activity. These results are the first characterization of the neuroanatomical correlates of bimanual coordination demands in MI. Our findings support the assumed equivalence of overt and imagined actions and highlight the differences between uni- and bimanual actions. The findings extent our understanding of the motor system and may aid the development of clinical neurorehabilitation approaches based on mental practice.
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