title: Correlation between somatosensory function and cortical activation induced by touch stimulation in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The correlation between somatosensory function and cortical activation induced by touch stimulation in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) was investigated by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-two chronic ICH patients with somatosensory deficits in tactile sensation were enrolled. For fMRI, touch stimulation was applied on the dorsum of the affected hand (contralateral to the ICH), using a rubber brush at a frequency of 1 Hz. Regions of interests (ROIs) were set at the primary sensory-motor cortex [SM1: Brodmann's area (BA) 1, 2, 3, 4], the posterior parietal cortex (PPC: BA 5, 7) and the secondary somatosensory cortex (S2: BA 43) in both hemispheres. The tactile sensation subscale of the Nottingham Sensory Assessment (NSA) was used to determine somatosensory function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant correlations were found between NSA scores and voxel counts in the contralateral (ipsilesional) SM1 (r = 0.642; p < 0.05), the contralateral PPC (r = 0.507; p < 0.05) and the ipsilateral (contralesional) SM1 (r = 0.466; p < 0.05). However, no correlation was found between NSA scores and the contralateral S2 (r = 0.323; p > 0.05), the ipsilateral PPC (r = 0.252; p > 0.05) or the ipsilateral S2 (r = 0.280; p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was found that somatosensory functions were positively correlated with degrees of blood oxygenation level dependent signal change of the following ROIs: the contralateral SM1, the contralateral PPC and the ipsilateral SM1. Opposingly, the S2 showed no correlation on either side of the brain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Taegu, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Mi Young
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014110:Touch / Q000502:physiology*; D055698:Touch Perception / Q000502:physiology*