title: Causal interaction following the alteration of target region activation during motor imagery training using real-time fMRI.
abstract: Motor imagery training is an effective approach for motor skill learning and motor function rehabilitation. As a novel method of motor imagery training, real-time fMRI (rtfMRI) enables individuals to acquire self-control of localized brain activation, achieving desired changes in behavior. The regulation of target region activation by rtfMRI often alters the activation of related brain regions. However, the interaction between the target region and these related regions is unclear. The Granger causality model (GCM) is a data-driven method that can explore the causal interaction between brain regions. In this study, we employed rtfMRI to train subjects to regulate the activation of the ipsilateral dorsal premotor area (dPMA) during motor imagery training, and we calculated the causal interaction of the dPMA with other motor-related regions based on the GCM. The results demonstrated that as the activity of the dPMA changed during rtfMRI training, the interaction of the target region with other related regions became significantly altered, and behavioral performance was improved after training. The altered interaction primarily exhibited as an increased unidirectional interaction from the dPMA to the other regions. These findings support the dominant role of the dPMA in motor skill learning via rtfMRI training and may indicate how activation of the target region interacts with the activation of other related regions.
authors.affiliation: College of Information Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xiaojie
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Paul C. Lauterbur Research Centers for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenzhen, China.
authors.forename: Hang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: School of Education and Psychology, Jinan University Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Sutao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: College of Information Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: College of Information Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: College of Information Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University Beijing, China ; State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yao
keywords: Granger causality; interaction; motor imagery; real-time fMRI; training