Somatotopy in the human motor cortex hand area. A high-resolution functional MRI study

The European Journal of Neuroscience
A KleinschmidtJ Frahm

Abstract

Fine-scale somatotopic encoding in brain areas devoted to sensorimotor processing has recently been questioned by functional neuroimaging studies which suggested its absence within the hand area of the human primary motor cortex. We re-examined this issue by addressing somatotopy both in terms of functional segregation and of cortical response preference using oxygenation-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging at high spatial resolution. In a first step, spatial representations of self-paced isolated finger movements were mapped by using motor rest as a control state. A subsequent experimental design studied the predominance of individual finger movements by using contrasting finger movements as the control task. While the first approach confirmed previous reports of extensive overlap in spatial representations, the second approach revealed foci of differential activation which displayed an orderly mediolateral progression in accordance with the classical cortical motor homunculus. We conclude that somatotopy within the hand area of the primary motor cortex does not present as qualitative functional segregation but as quantitative predominance of certain movement or digit representation embedded in an overall joint hand area.

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Citations

Apr 9, 1999·Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging : JMRI·F G HoogenraadE M Haacke
Feb 17, 2001·Magnetic Resonance in Medicine : Official Journal of the Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine·J BaudewigJ Frahm
Mar 29, 2008·Experimental Brain Research·James N IngramDaniel M Wolpert
Jul 3, 2013·Clinical Neurophysiology : Official Journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology·Maria KnikouChaithanya K Mummidisetty
Mar 20, 2002·Progress in Neurobiology·Michel Rijntjes, Cornelius Weiller
Jul 13, 1999·European Journal of Radiology·F Di SalleG Tedeschi
Jul 13, 1999·European Journal of Radiology·V S Mattay, D R Weinberger
May 2, 2000·Magnetic Resonance Imaging·F G HoogenraadE M Haacke
Aug 9, 2002·Neuroreport·Seung-Schik Yoo, Ferenc A Jolesz
Nov 20, 2002·Neuroreport·Hatem AlkadhiSpyros S Kollias
Apr 10, 2003·Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology : Official Publication of the American Electroencephalographic Society·Daniel M BrancoJaderson C Da Costa
Jun 5, 2007·Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology : Official Publication of the American Electroencephalographic Society·Donald F FarrellGeorge A Ojemann
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May 10, 2000·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·P BruggerM Regard
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