Electroencephalographic and magnetoencephalographic studies of motor function.
Although a great deal has been learned from the study of scalp-recorded movement-related potentials, the exact origin of the various components described above remains unclear, mainly because of the limited spatial resolution of the EEG and the consequent difficulty in predicting sources from the surface distribution of these components. The introduction of the MEG and source localization methods based on neuromagnetic recordings has provided a new means by which to study the cortical activation during movement in humans. The study of movement-related magnetic fields of the brain is still at an early stage of development. However, the data reviewed to date indicate that the MEG offers a promising means by which to study (noninvasively) cortical motor function. With regard to the data reviewed here, the following conclusions can be made: 1. Slow "readiness" magnetic fields can be recorded prior to a variety of voluntary movements and display a topography which indicates the activation of bilateral sources, even if the instructed movement is unilateral. Sources in the contralateral hemisphere appear as early as 0.5 sec before the movement and appear to be localized in the sensorimotor cortex. Consequently, the assumption of a contralateral source being the only or primary generator of the readiness potential, based on EEG data, must be tempered. 2. A large-amplitude "movement-evoked field" (occurring at a post-EMG-onset latency of about 110 msec for finger movements) is probably the counterpart of the MP and appears to be the result of a dipolar source localized to the contralateral sensorimotor area. This source is probably the first sign of movement reafferent input to cortex. 3. Variability in the movement-evoked field across individuals, which are much more evident in MEG than in EEG, may reflect the summation of multiple sources active in the region of the sensorimotor cortex during movement onset (i.e., both pre- and postcentral generators). In some instances, it may be possible to extract simpler elements of these complex sources based on assumptions of temporal overlapping of pre-movement and movement-evoked activity.
Weinberg
H
H
Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
Cheyne
D
D
Crisp
D
D
D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D015225:Magnetoencephalography; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D012535:Scalp / Q000502:physiology