title: Integration of cortical areas during performance of a catching ball task.
abstract: The study aimed to elucidate electrophysiological and cortical mechanisms involved in anticipatory actions when healthy subjects had to catch balls in free drop; specifically through quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) alpha absolute power changes. Our hypothesis is that during the preparation of motor action (i.e., 2s before ball's drop) occurred integration among left medial frontal, left primary somatomotor and left posterior parietal cortices, showing a differentiated activity involving expectation, planning and preparedness. This hypothesis supports a lateralization of motor function. Although we contend that in right-handers the left hemisphere takes on a dominant role for the regulation of motor behavior. The sample was composed of 23 healthy subjects (13 male and 10 female), right handed, with ages varying between 25 and 40 years old (32.5+/-7.5), absence of mental and physical illness, right handed, and do not make use of any psychoactive or psychotropic substance at the time of the study. The experiment consisted of a task of catching balls in free drop. The three-way ANOVA analysis demonstrated an interaction between moment and position in left medial frontal cortex (F3 electrode), somatomotor cortex (C3 electrode) and posterior parietal cortex (P3 electrode; p < 0.001). Summarizing, through experimental task employed, it was possible to observe integration among frontal, central and parietal regions. This integration appears to be more predominant in expectation, planning and motor preparation. In this way, it established an absolute predominance of this mechanism under the left hemisphere.
authors.affiliation: Brain Mapping and Sensory Motor Integration, Institute of Psychiatry of Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (IPUB/UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. secm80@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: Marlo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.forename: Cláudio Elidio
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Portella
authors.forename: Julio Guilherme
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Bruna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Velasques
authors.forename: Victor Hugo
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Bastos
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Budde
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pompeu
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Basile
authors.forename: Mauricio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cagy
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Piedade
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods; D004594:Electrophysiology / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors