Functional localization of the sensory hand area with respect to the motor central gyrus knob.
The aim of this work was to investigate the topography of the primary sensory hand cortex with magnetoencephalography in order to define the functional anatomy of this area in healthy humans. Previous studies denoted an inverted Ohm or an horizontal epsilon shaped knob on the pre-central gyrus as a landmark for the motor hand area; therefore a systematic difference between the orientation of the source for thumb with respect to little finger should be observed. We found this systematic difference, but the direction of the sources activated during thumb and little finger stimulation did not converge, as would be expected if only the Ohm convexity is activated: in fact our results suggest that thumb sensory area also extends to the area lateral to this convexity.
Pizzella
V
V
Istituto di Elettronica dello Stato Solido, CNR, Italy.
Tecchio
F
F
Romani
G L
GL
Rossini
P M
PM
D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000502:physiology; D006225:Hand / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D015225:Magnetoencephalography; D008297:Male; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012677:Sensation / Q000502:physiology*; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D013933:Thumb / Q000502:physiology