scholarly journals Integration of Visual and Tactile Signals From the Hand in the Human Brain: An fMRI Study

2011 ◽  
Vol 105 (2) ◽  
pp. 910-922 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Gentile ◽  
Valeria I. Petkova ◽  
H. Henrik Ehrsson
Keyword(s):  
Upper Limb ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Multisensory Perception ◽  
Tactile Information ◽  
Tactile Stimuli ◽  
Fmri Study ◽  
Subcortical Regions ◽  
The Right ◽  
Stimulation Of

In the non-human primate brain, a number of multisensory areas have been described where individual neurons respond to visual, tactile and bimodal visuotactile stimulation of the upper limb. It has been shown that such bimodal neurons can integrate sensory inputs in a linear or nonlinear fashion. In humans, activity in a similar set of brain regions has been associated with visuotactile stimulation of the hand. However, little is known about how these areas integrate visual and tactile information. In this functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment, we employed tactile, visual, and visuotactile stimulation of the right hand in an ecologically valid setup where participants were looking directly at their upper limb. We identified brain regions that were activated by both visual and tactile stimuli as well as areas exhibiting greater activity in the visuotactile condition than in both unisensory ones. The posterior and inferior parietal, dorsal, and ventral premotor cortices, as well as the cerebellum, all showed evidence of multisensory linear (additive) responses. Nonlinear, superadditive responses were observed in the cortex lining the left anterior intraparietal sulcus, the insula, dorsal premotor cortex, and, subcortically, the putamen. These results identify a set of candidate frontal, parietal and subcortical regions that integrate visual and tactile information for the multisensory perception of one's own hand.

scholarly journals Spatial Navigation Impairment Is Associated with Alterations in Subcortical Intrinsic Activity in Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Resting-State fMRI Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhao Qing ◽  
Weiping Li ◽  
Zuzana Nedelska ◽  
Wenbo Wu ◽  
Fangfang Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Spatial Navigation ◽  
Resting State Fmri ◽  
Intrinsic Activity ◽  
Fmri Study ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
Subcortical Regions ◽  
The Right ◽  
Brain Behavior

Impairment of spatial navigation (SN) skills is one of the features of the Alzheimer’s disease (AD) already at the stage of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We used a computer-based battery of spatial navigation tests to measure the SN performance in 22 MCI patients as well as 21 normal controls (NC). In order to evaluate intrinsic activity in the subcortical regions that may play a role in SN, we measured ALFF, fALFF, and ReHo derived within 14 subcortical regions. We observed reductions of intrinsic activity in MCI patients. We also demonstrated that the MCI versus NC group difference can modulate activity-behavior relationship, that is, the correlation slopes between ReHo and allocentric SN task total errors were significantly different between NC and MCI groups in the right hippocampus (interaction F=4.44, p=0.05), pallidum (F=8.97, p=0.005), and thalamus (F=5.95, p=0.02), which were negative in NC (right hippocampus, r=−0.49; right pallidum, r=−0.50; right thalamus, r=−0.45; all p<0.05) but absent in MCI (right hippocampus, r=0.21; right pallidum, r=0.32; right thalamus r=0.28; all p>0.2). These findings may provide a novel insight of the brain mechanism associated with SN impairment in MCI and indicated a stage specificity of brain-behavior correlation in dementia. This trial is registered with ChiCTR-BRC-17011316.

Functional Asymmetries Revealed in Visually Guided Saccades: An fMRI Study

2009 ◽  
Vol 102 (5) ◽  
pp. 2994-3003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurent Petit ◽  
Laure Zago ◽  
Mathieu Vigneau ◽  
Frédéric Andersson ◽  
Fabrice Crivello ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Part ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Cerebral Dominance ◽  
Brain Network ◽  
Visually Guided ◽  
Fmri Study ◽  
Functional Lateralization ◽  
Eye Field ◽  
Middle Occipital Gyrus ◽  
The Right

Because eye movements are a fundamental tool for spatial exploration, we hypothesized that the neural bases of these movements in humans should be under right cerebral dominance, as already described for spatial attention. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging in 27 right-handed participants who alternated central fixation with either large or small visually guided saccades (VGS), equally performed in both directions. Hemispheric functional asymmetry was analyzed to identify whether brain regions showing VGS activation elicited hemispheric asymmetries. Hemispheric anatomical asymmetry was also estimated to assess its influence on the VGS functional lateralization. Right asymmetrical activations of a saccadic/attentional system were observed in the lateral frontal eye fields (FEF), the anterior part of the intraparietal sulcus (aIPS), the posterior third of the superior temporal sulcus (STS), the occipitotemporal junction (MT/V5 area), the middle occipital gyrus, and medially along the calcarine fissure (V1). The present rightward functional asymmetries were not related to differences in gray matter (GM) density/sulci positions between right and left hemispheres in the precentral, intraparietal, superior temporal, and extrastriate regions. Only V1 asymmetries were explained for almost 20% of the variance by a difference in the position of the right and left calcarine fissures. Left asymmetrical activations of a saccadic motor system were observed in the medial FEF and in the motor strip eye field along the Rolando sulcus. They were not explained by GM asymmetries. We suggest that the leftward saccadic motor asymmetry is part of a general dominance of the left motor cortex in right-handers, which must include an effect of sighting dominance. Our results demonstrate that, although bilateral by nature, the brain network involved in the execution of VGSs, irrespective of their direction, presented specific right and left asymmetries that were not related to anatomical differences in sulci positions.

Dissociable Mechanisms of Cognitive Control in Prefrontal and Premotor Cortex

2007 ◽  
Vol 98 (6) ◽  
pp. 3638-3647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher D. Chambers ◽  
Mark A. Bellgrove ◽  
Ian C. Gould ◽  
Therese English ◽  
Hugh Garavan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Flanker Task ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Response Competition ◽  
Stop Signal ◽  
Stop Signal Task ◽  
The Right ◽  
Stimulation Of

Intelligent behavior depends on the ability to suppress inappropriate actions and resolve interference between competing responses. Recent clinical and neuroimaging evidence has demonstrated the involvement of prefrontal, parietal, and premotor areas during behaviors that emphasize conflict and inhibition. It remains unclear, however, whether discrete subregions within this network are crucial for overseeing more specific inhibitory demands. Here we probed the functional specialization of human prefrontal cortex by combining repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) with integrated behavioral measures of response inhibition (stop-signal task) and response competition (flanker task). Participants undertook a combined stop-signal/flanker task after rTMS of the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) or dorsal premotor cortex (dPM) in each hemisphere. Stimulation of the right IFG impaired stop-signal inhibition under conditions of heightened response competition but did not influence the ability to suppress a competing response. In contrast, stimulation of the right dPM facilitated execution but had no effect on inhibition. Neither of these results was observed during rTMS of corresponding left-hemisphere regions. Overall, our findings are consistent with existing evidence that the right IFG is crucial for inhibitory control. The observed double dissociation of neurodisruptive effects between the right IFG and right dPM further implies that response inhibition and execution rely on distinct neural processes despite activating a common cortical network.

scholarly journals Cortical Regions Involved in the Generation of Musical Structures during Improvisation in Pianists

2007 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 830-842 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara L. Bengtsson ◽  
Mihály Csíkszentmihályi ◽  
Fredrik Ullén
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Response Selection ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Posterior Part ◽  
Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal ◽  
The Right ◽  
Musical Creation

Studies on simple pseudorandom motor and cognitive tasks have shown that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and rostral premotor areas are involved in free response selection. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate whether these brain regions are also involved in free generation of responses in a more complex creative behavior: musical improvisation. Eleven professional pianists participated in the study. In one condition, Improvise, the pianist improvised on the basis of a visually displayed melody. In the control condition, Reproduce, the participant reproduced his previous improvisation from memory. Participants were able to reproduce their improvisations with a high level of accuracy, and the contrast Improvise versus Reproduce was thus essentially matched in terms of motor output and sensory feedback. However, the Improvise condition required storage in memory of the improvisation. We therefore also included a condition FreeImp, where the pianist improvised but was instructed not to memorize his performance. To locate brain regions involved in musical creation, we investigated the activations in the Improvise-Reproduce contrast that were also present in FreeImp contrasted with a baseline rest condition. Activated brain regions included the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the presupplementary motor area, the rostral portion of the dorsal premotor cortex, and the left posterior part of the superior temporal gyrus. We suggest that these regions are part of a network involved in musical creation, and discuss their possible functional roles.

scholarly journals Spatial Information of Somatosensory Stimuli in the Brain: Multivariate Pattern Analysis of Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Data

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
In-Seon Lee ◽  
Won-mo Jung ◽  
Hi-Joon Park ◽  
Younbyoung Chae
Keyword(s):  
Pattern Analysis ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Binary Classification ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Parts ◽  
Tactile Stimuli ◽  
Somatosensory Stimuli ◽  
The Right ◽  
Multivariate Pattern

Background. Multivoxel pattern analysis has provided new evidence on somatotopic representation in the human brain. However, the effects of stimulus modality (e.g., penetrating needle versus non-penetrating touch) and level of classification (e.g., multiclass versus binary classification) on patterns of brain activity encoding spatial information of body parts have not yet been studied. We hypothesized that performance of brain-based prediction models may vary across the types of stimuli, and neural patterns of voxels in the SI and parietal cortex would significantly contribute to the prediction of stimulated locations. Objective. We aimed to (1) test whether brain responses to tactile stimuli could distinguish among stimulated locations on the body surface, (2) investigate whether the stimulus modality and number of classes affect classification performance, and (3) localize brain regions encoding the spatial information of somatosensory stimuli. Methods. Fifteen healthy participants completed two functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and were stimulated via the insertion of acupuncture needles or by non-invasive touch stimuli (5.46-sized von Frey filament). Participants received the stimuli at four different locations on the upper and lower limbs (two sites each) for 5 min while blood-oxygen-level-dependent activity (BOLD) was measured using 3-Tesla MRI. We performed multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) using parameter estimate images of each trial for each participant and the support vector classifier (SVC) function, and the prediction accuracy and other MVPA outcomes were evaluated using stratified five-fold cross validation. We estimated the significance of the classification accuracy using a permutation test with randomly labeled training data (n=10,000). Searchlight analysis was conducted to identify brain regions associated with significantly higher accuracy compared to predictions based on chance as obtained from a random classifier. Results. For the four-class classification (classifying four stimulated points on the body), SVC analysis of whole-brain beta values in response to acupuncture stimulation was able to discriminate among stimulated locations (mean accuracy, 0.31; q<0.01). The searchlight analysis found that values related to the right primary somatosensory cortex (SI) and intraparietal sulcus were significantly more accurate than those due to chance (p<0.01). On the other hand, the same classifier did not predict stimulated locations accurately for touch stimulation (mean accuracy, 0.25; q=0.66). For binary classification (discriminating between two stimulated body parts, i.e., the arm or leg), the SVC algorithm successfully predicted the stimulated body parts for both acupuncture (mean accuracy, 0.63; q<0.001) and touch stimulation (mean accuracy, 0.60; q<0.01). Searchlight analysis revealed that predictions based on the right SI, primary motor cortex (MI), paracentral gyrus, and superior frontal gyrus were significantly more accurate compared to predictions based on chance (p<0.05). Conclusion. Our findings suggest that the SI, as well as the MI, intraparietal sulcus, paracentral gyrus, and superior frontal gyrus, is responsible for the somatotopic representation of body parts stimulated by tactile stimuli. The MVPA approach for identifying neural patterns encoding spatial information of somatosensory stimuli may be affected by the stimulus type (penetrating needle versus non-invasive touch) and the number of classes (classification of four small points on the body versus two large body parts). Future studies with larger samples will identify stimulus-specific neural patterns representing stimulated locations, independent of subjective tactile perception and emotional responses. Identification of distinct neural patterns of body surfaces will help in improving neural biomarkers for pain and other sensory percepts in the future.

Altered thalamic connectivity during spontaneous attacks of migraine without aura: A resting-state fMRI study

Cephalalgia ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (7) ◽  
pp. 1237-1244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faisal Mohammad Amin ◽  
Anders Hougaard ◽  
Stefano Magon ◽  
Till Sprenger ◽  
Frauke Wolfram ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Migraine Without Aura ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Network Connectivity ◽  
Insular Cortex ◽  
Resting State Fmri ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
The Right

Background Functional connectivity of brain networks may be altered in migraine without aura patients. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have demonstrated changed activity in the thalamus, pons and cerebellum in migraineurs. Here, we investigated the thalamic, pontine and cerebellar network connectivity during spontaneous migraine attacks. Methods Seventeen patients with episodic migraine without aura underwent resting-state fMRI scan during and outside of a spontaneous migraine attack. Primary endpoint was a difference in functional connectivity between the attack and the headache-free days. Functional connectivity was assessed in four different networks using seed-based analysis. The chosen seeds were in the thalamus (MNI coordinates x,y,z: right, 22,–24,0 and left, –22,–28,6), pons (right, 8,–24,–32 and left, –8,–24,–32), cerebellum crus I (right, 46,–58,–30 and left, –46,–58,–30) and cerebellum lobule VI (right, 34,–42,–36 and left, –32,–42,–36). Results We found increased functional connectivity between the right thalamus and several contralateral brain regions (superior parietal lobule, insular cortex, primary motor cortex, supplementary motor area and orbitofrontal cortex). There was decreased functional connectivity between the right thalamus and three ipsilateral brain areas (primary somatosensory cortex and premotor cortex). We found no change in functional connectivity in the pontine or the cerebellar networks. Conclusions The study indicates that network connectivity between thalamus and pain modulating as well as pain encoding cortical areas are affected during spontaneous migraine attacks.

scholarly journals Dysfunction of anterior insula in the non- affected hemisphere in patients with post- stroke depression: A resting-state fMRI study

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 35-48
Author(s):  
Eunhee Park ◽  
Jang Woo Park ◽  
Yu-Sun Min ◽  
Yang-Soo Lee ◽  
Byung-Soo Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Resting State ◽  
Resting State Fmri ◽  
Depressive Mood ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Anterior Insula ◽  
Post Stroke ◽  
Fmri Study ◽  
Post Stroke Depression ◽  
Healthy Control ◽  
Subcortical Regions

BACKGROUND: Post-stroke depression (PSD) is a consequential neuropsychiatric sequela that occurs after stroke. However, the pathophysiology of PSD are not well understood yet. OBJECTIVE: To explore alterations in functional connectivity (FC) between anterior insula and fronto-cortical and other subcortical regions in the non-affected hemisphere in patients with PSD compared to without PSD and healthy control. METHODS: Resting-state FC was estimated between the anterior insula and cortical and subcortical brain regions in the non-affected hemisphere in 13 patients with PSD, 12 patients without PSD, and 13 healthy controls. The severity of depressive mood was measured by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)-II. RESULTS: Patients with PSD showed significant differences in FC scores between the anterior insula and the superior frontal, middle frontal, and orbitofrontal gyrus in the non-affected hemisphere than healthy control or patients without PSD (P< 0.05). In post-hoc, patients with PSD showed higher FC scores between the anterior insula and the superior frontal region than patients without PSD (P< 0.05). Furthermore, alterations in FC of the superior frontal, middle frontal, and orbitofrontal gyrus were positively correlated with depression severity, as measured with the BDI-II (P< 0.001).

The Context of Uncertainty Modulates the Subcortical Response to Predictability

2001 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 986-993 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Bischoff-Grethe ◽  
Megan Martin ◽  
Hui Mao ◽  
Gregory S. Berns
Keyword(s):  
Posterior Parietal Cortex ◽  
Learning Task ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Order Effects ◽  
Sequence Versus ◽  
Implicit Motor Learning ◽  
Fmri Study ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal ◽  
The Right ◽  
Relationship Of

Implicit motor learning tasks typically involve comparisons of subject responses during a sequence versus a random condition. In neuroimaging, brain regions that are correlated with a sequence are described, but the temporal relationship of sequence versus nonsequence conditions is often not explored. We present a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study describing activation related to sequential predictability in an implicit sensorimotor learning task and the history (context) dependence of these effects. Participants regarded four squares displayed horizontally across a screen and pressed a button when any one of the four targets was illuminated in a particular color. A repeating spatial sequence with varying levels of predictability was embedded within a random color presentation. Both the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (R DLPFC) and right caudate displayed a positive correlation to increasing predictability, whereas the left posterior parietal cortex (L PPC) displayed a negative correlation. However, the activation changes within the caudate were significant when transitioning from high predictability to low predictability but not for the reverse case, suggesting a sensitivity not only to predictability but to order effects as well. These results support the hypothesized relationship between basal ganglia and visuomotor sequential learning, but demonstrate the importance of context upon sequence learning.

scholarly journals Common and Unique Neural Correlates of Autobiographical Memory and Theory of Mind

2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 1095-1111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer S. Rabin ◽  
Asaf Gilboa ◽  
Donald T. Stuss ◽  
Raymond A. Mar ◽  
R. Shayna Rosenbaum
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Autobiographical Memory ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Fmri Study ◽  
Common Activity ◽  
The Right ◽  
Past Experiences

There is an inconsistency regarding the relationship between thinking about personal past experiences during autobiographical memory (AM) and thinking about other people's mental states during theory of mind (ToM). Neuroimaging studies of AM and ToM consistently report overlap in the brain regions recruited. Lesion data, however, show that amnesic people with AM impairment can have intact ToM, suggesting that distinct neural mechanisms support these abilities [Rosenbaum, R. S., Stuss, D. T., Levine, B., & Tulving, E. Theory of mind is independent of episodic memory. Science, 318, 1257, 2007]. The current fMRI study examined the functional and neural correlates of remembering one's own experiences in response to personal photos (AM condition) and imagining others' experiences in response to strangers' photos (ToM condition). AM and ToM conditions were matched in terms of content and vividness, and were compared directly and to a common baseline. Analyses revealed common activity within frontal and temporal–parietal regions, yet midline structures exhibited greater activity during AM. More specific analyses of event construction and detail elaboration revealed unique activation of the right hippocampus during AM construction, and of lateral regions, such as the right temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) during ToM elaboration. Moreover, a region of left hippocampus/perirhinal cortex appeared to be driven by event vividness. Thus, differences in AM and ToM emerge when a common baseline is used and temporal dynamics are taken into account. Furthermore, the right TPJ and related lateral regions, and not the hippocampus, may be needed for ToM, given that this ability is intact in amnesic people.

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