title: Differential neural correlates of reciprocal activation and cocontraction control in dorsal and ventral premotor cortices.
abstract: Efficient control of reciprocal activation and cocontraction of the muscles are critical to perform skillful actions with suitable force and impedance. However, it remains unclear how the brain controls force and impedance while recruiting the same set of muscles as actuators. Does control take place at the single muscle level leading to force and impedance, or are there higher-order centers dedicated to controlling force and impedance? We addressed this question using functional MRI during voluntary isometric wrist contractions with online electromyogram feedback. Comparison of the brain activity between the conditions requiring control of either wrist torque or cocontraction demonstrates that blood oxygen level-dependent activity in the caudo-dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) correlates well with torque, whereas the activity in the ventral premotor cortex (PMv) correlates well with the level of cocontraction. This suggests distinct roles of the PMd and PMv in the voluntary control of reciprocal activation and cocontraction of muscles, respectively.
authors: Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, 588-2 Iwaoka-cho Nishiku, Kobe Hyogo 651-2492, Japan. mharuno@nict.go.jp
authors: Masahiko
authors: M
authors: Haruno
authors: Gowrishankar
authors: G
authors: Ganesh
authors: Etienne
authors: E
authors: Burdet
authors: Mitsuo
authors: M
authors: Kawato
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology*; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D014955:Wrist Joint / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult