Lateralization of unimanual and bimanual motor imagery.

Full Abstract

Most studies of motor imagery have examined motor cortex function during imagery of dominant hand movement. The aim of this study was to examine the modulation of excitability in the dominant and non-dominant corticomotor pathways during kinesthetic motor imagery of unimanual and bimanual movement. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was applied over the contralateral motor cortex (M1) to elicit motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) in the abductor pollicis brevis (APB) and abductor digiti minimi (ADM) muscles of each hand, in two separate sessions. Transcutaneous electrical stimuli were also delivered to the median nerve at each wrist, to elicit F-waves from APB. Fifteen right-handed volunteers imagined unimanual and bimanual phasic thumb movements, paced with a 1-Hz auditory metronome. Stimuli were delivered at rest, and either 50 ms before (ON phase), or 450 ms after (OFF phase), the metronome beeps. Significant MEP amplitude facilitation occurred only in right APB, during the ON phase of motor imagery of the right hand and both hands. Significant temporal modulation of right APB MEP amplitude was observed during motor imagery of right, left and bimanual performance. F-wave persistence and amplitude were unaffected by imagery. These results demonstrate that the motor imagery is lateralized to the left (dominant) hemisphere, which is engaged by imagery of each hand separately, and bimanual imagery. This finding has implications for the use of motor imagery in rehabilitation.

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Author information

Author/s: Stinear, Cathy M (CM); Fleming, Melanie K (MK); Byblow, Winston D (WD);

Affiliation: Human Motor Control Laboratory, Dept Sport and Exercise Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand. c.stinear(-atsign-)auckland.ac.nz

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Brain research (Brain Res), published in Netherlands. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-Jun; vol 1095 (issue 1) : pp 139-47

Dates: Created 2006/06/19; Completed 2006/09/05; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 16713588, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adult
Analysis of Variance
Electromyography - methods
Evoked Potentials, Motor - physiology; radiation effects
Female
Functional Laterality - physiology
Hand - physiology
Humans

Humans
Imagery (Psychotherapy)
Male
Middle Aged
Motor Cortex - physiology
Movement - physiology
Psychomotor Performance - physiology
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation - methods

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