title: Structural correlates of motor adaptation deficits in patients with acute focal lesions of the cerebellum.
abstract: Studies of cerebellar patients employing modern lesion-symptom mapping techniques have provided valuable insights into the contribution of the cerebellum to motor adaptation. In patients with chronic focal lesions of the cerebellum, the process of adapting reaching movements to force field (FF) and visuomotor rotation (VM) perturbations relies on different anatomical structures located primarily within the territory of the superior hand area. By contrast, results within the territory of the inferior hand area are less consistent. Compensatory mechanisms may have masked the contribution of the inferior hand area. To test this hypothesis, reaching adaptation to FF and VM perturbations was investigated in 24 patients with acute and subacute lesions of the cerebellum. High-resolution magnetic resonance images were acquired to perform voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping (VLSM). VLSM confirmed that distinct and only partially overlapping areas located primarily within the territory of the superior hand area were crucial for adaptation to FF and VM. More specifically, current results add to previous findings that lobule V is of particular importance in FF adaptation, whereas lobule VI plays a more important role in VM adaptation. No clear evidence for a contribution of the inferior hand area to either task was found. Reach adaptation appears to depend primarily on the superior hand area within the cerebellum.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Clinic Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstrasse 55, 45147, Essen, Germany, roxana.burciu@uni-due.de.
authors.forename: Roxana Gabriela
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Burciu
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reinold
authors.forename: Kasja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rabe
authors.forename: Elke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wondzinski
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siebler
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Theysohn
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gerwig
authors.forename: Opher
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Donchin
authors.forename: Dagmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Timmann
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002526:Cerebellar Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000209:etiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic