title: The neural correlates of movement intentions: A pilot study comparing hypnotic and simulated paralysis.
abstract: The distinct feeling of wanting to act and thereby causing our own actions is crucial to our self-perception as free human agents. Disturbances of the link between intention and action occur in several disorders. Little is known, however, about the neural correlates of wanting or intending to act. To investigate these for simple voluntary movements, we used a paradigm involving hypnotic paralysis and functional magnetic resonance imaging. Eight healthy women were instructed to sequentially perform left and right hand movements during a normal condition, as well as during simulated weakness, simulated paralysis and hypnotic paralysis of the right hand. Right frontopolar cortex was selectively hypoactivated for attempted right hand movement during simulated paralysis while it was active in all other conditions. Since simulated paralysis was the only condition lacking an intention to move, the activation in frontopolar cortex might be related to the intention or volition to move.
authors.affiliation: Division of Mind and Brain Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany; Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: vera.ludwig@hu-berlin.de.
authors.forename: Vera U
authors.initials: VU
authors.lastname: Ludwig
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital, RWTH University Aachen, Neuenhofer Weg 21, 52074 Aachen, Germany; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: jseitz@ukaachen.de.
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Seitz
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy III, University Hospital Ulm, Leimgrubenweg 12-14, 89075 Ulm, Germany. Electronic address: carlos.schoenfeldt@uni-ulm.de.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schönfeldt-Lecuona
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy III, University Hospital Ulm, Leimgrubenweg 12-14, 89075 Ulm, Germany. Electronic address: hoese.annett@zieglersche.de.
authors.forename: Annett
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Höse
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy III, University Hospital Ulm, Leimgrubenweg 12-14, 89075 Ulm, Germany. Electronic address: birgit.abler@uni-ulm.de.
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Abler
authors.affiliation: Aus- und Weiterbildungsinstitut für Hypnosetherapie, Kantstr. 5/3, D-88213 Ravensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Günter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hole
authors.affiliation: Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands; Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: r.goebel@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Goebel
authors.affiliation: Division of Mind and Brain Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany; Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: henrik.walter@charite.de.
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Walter
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D059907:Functional Neuroimaging; D006225:Hand; D006801:Humans; D006990:Hypnosis; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D033182:Intention; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D010243:Paralysis; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011930:Reaction Time; D014836:Volition; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Conversion disorder; Hypnosis; Intention; Motor control; Prefrontal cortex; Volition