The transfer of a timing pattern to the untrained human hand investigated with functional magnetic resonance imaging

• Published in: Neuroscience letters Vol. 301; no. 1; pp. 45 - 48
• Main Authors: Lutz, Kai, Weidner, Ralph, Shah, Nadim Jon, Jäncke, Lutz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 23.03.2001; Elsevier
• Subjects: Acoustic Stimulation - methods; Biological and medical sciences; Cerebellum - blood supply; Cerebellum - physiology; Female; Finger tapping; Functional Laterality - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gyrus Cinguli - blood supply; Gyrus Cinguli - physiology; Hand - physiology; Hippocampus - blood supply; Hippocampus - physiology; Human; Humans; Laterality; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Magnetic resonance imaging/psychology; Male; Motor control and motor pathways. Reflexes. Control centers of vegetative functions. Vestibular system and equilibration; Motor cortex; Motor Skills - physiology; Psychomotor Performance - physiology; Sensorimotor coordination; Time and motion studies; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Visual; Human; Finger tapping; Sensorimotor coordination; Magnetic resonance imaging/psychology; Motor cortex; Time and motion studies; Laterality; Visual; Motor pathway; Imaging; Central nervous system; Body movement; Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; Hand; Brain (vertebrata)
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/S0304-3940(01)01607-X

The study investigates cortical hemodynamic responses during continuation tapping using auditory pacing stimuli in five healthy right-handed subjects using functional magnetic resonance imaging. The tasks required the use of either the same finger for synchronization of the tapping movement and for continuation, or to use the contralateral finger for continuation. Results show, that using the contralateral finger increases regional cerebral blood flow in motor areas such as the anterior cerebellar hemispheres and vermis, in the cingulate motor area, but also in the posterior cingulum, when compared to using the same finger. The complementary comparison shows increased regional blood flow in the left hippocampus. The results suggest that in addition to pure executive functions, higher cognitive functions localized in these areas are involved in the transfer of interval timing.