Fronto-parieto-cerebellar interaction associated with intermanual transfer of monkey tool-use learning.
Prior motor skill learning (original learning; OL) with one hand (original hand; OH) can affect relearning of the same skill (transfer learning; TL) with the opposite hand (transferred hand; TH). This phenomenon is known as intermanual transfer of learning. We explored specialization of brain activation underlying tool-use between hands by measuring regional cerebral blood flow in two monkeys using positron emission tomography. We found brain activation specified for TL in the bilateral prefrontal cortex, bilateral intraparietal sulcus region, and cerebellum contralateral to TH. The results suggest that those regions may be related to intermanual transfer of tool-use learning, presumably in terms of modifying a motor engram specific for OH.
Obayashi
Shigeru
S
Brain Imaging Project, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, CREST (JST), Chiba 263-8555, Japan. ohbayash@nirs.go.jp
Suhara
Tetsuya
T
Kawabe
Koichi
K
Okauchi
Takashi
T
Maeda
Jun
J
Nagai
Yuji
Y
Iriki
Atsushi
A
D000818:Animals; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D006225:Hand; D008251:Macaca; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D014163:Transfer, Psychology