title: The physiology of motor delusions in anosognosia for hemiplegia: implications for current models of motor awareness.
abstract: Right brain damaged patients sometimes deny that their left arm is paralysed or even claim to have just moved it. This condition is known as anosognosia for hemiplegia (AHP). Here, we used fMRI to study patients with and without AHP during the execution of a motor task. We found that the delusional belief of having moved was preceded by brain activation of the cortical regions that are implicated in motor control in the left intact hemisphere and in the spared motor regions of the right hemisphere; patients without anosognosia did not present with the same degree of activation. We conclude that the false belief of movement is associated with a combination of strategically placed brain lesions and the preceding residual neural activity of the fronto-parietal motor network. These findings provide evidence that the activity of motor cortices contributes to our beliefs about the state of our motor system.
authors: Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy. Electronic address: martina.gandola@unipv.it.
authors: Martina
authors: M
authors: Gandola
authors: Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; Cognitive Neuropsychology Centre, Niguarda Ca' Granda Hospital, Milano, Italy. Electronic address: gabriella.bottini@unipv.it.
authors: Gabriella
authors: G
authors: Bottini
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy. Electronic address: l.zapparoli@campus.unimib.it.
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Zapparoli
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy. Electronic address: p.invernizzi3@campus.unimib.it.
authors: Paola
authors: P
authors: Invernizzi
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy. Electronic address: margheritaverardi@hotmail.com.
authors: Margherita
authors: M
authors: Verardi
authors: Neurology Department, Niguarda Ca' Granda Hospital, Milano, Italy. Electronic address: roberto.sterzi3@gmail.com.
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Sterzi
authors: Neurology Department, Niguarda Ca' Granda Hospital, Milano, Italy. Electronic address: ignazio.santilli@ospedaleniguarda.it.
authors: Ignazio
authors: I
authors: Santilli
authors: Neuroradiology Department, Niguarda Ca' Granda Hospital, Milano, Italy. Electronic address: maurizio.sberna@ospedaleniguarda.it.
authors: Maurizio
authors: M
authors: Sberna
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy; IRCCS Galeazzi, Milano, Italy. Electronic address: eraldo.paulesu@unimib.it.
authors: Eraldo
authors: E
authors: Paulesu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000377:Agnosia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003702:Delusions / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D059907:Functional Neuroimaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006225:Hand / Q000503:physiopathology; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications
keywords: Anosognosia for hemiplegia; Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Motor awareness; Motor intention