The neural network involved in a bimanual tactile-tactile matching discrimination task: a functional imaging study at 3 T.
BACKGROUND
The cerebral and cerebellar network involved in a bimanual object recognition was studied in blood oxygenation dependent level functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).


METHODS
Nine healthy right-handed volunteers were scanned (1) while performing bilateral finger movements (nondiscrimination motor task), and (2) while performing a bimanual tactile-tactile matching discrimination task using small chess pieces (tactile discrimination task).


RESULTS
Extensive activations were specifically observed in the parietal (SII, superior lateral lobule), insular, prefrontal, cingulate and neocerebellar cortices (HVIII), with a left predominance in motor areas, during the tactile discrimination task in contrast to the findings during the nondiscrimination motor task.


CONCLUSIONS
Bimanual tactile-tactile matching discrimination recruits multiple sensorimotor and associative cerebral and neocerebellar networks (including the cerebellar second homunculus, HVIII), comparable to the neural circuits involved in unimanual tactile object recognition.
Habas
Christophe
C
Service de NeuroImagerie, Hôpital des Quinze-Vingts, UPMC Paris 6, 28, rue de Charenton, 75012 Paris, France. chabas@quinze-vingts.fr
Cabanis
Emmanuel Alain
EA
D000328:Adult; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D014110:Touch / Q000502:physiology*