title: Motor Cortex Activity During Functional Motor Skills: An fNIRS Study.
abstract: Assessments of brain activity during motor task performance have been limited to fine motor movements due to technological constraints presented by traditional neuroimaging techniques, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) offers a promising method by which to overcome these constraints and investigate motor performance of functional motor tasks. The current study used fNIRS to quantify hemodynamic responses within the primary motor cortex in twelve healthy adults as they performed unimanual right, unimanual left, and bimanual reaching, and stepping in place. Results revealed that during both unimanual reaching tasks, the contralateral hemisphere showed significant activation in channels located approximately 3 cm medial to the C3 (for right-hand reach) and C4 (for left-hand reach) landmarks. Bimanual reaching and stepping showed activation in similar channels, which were located bilaterally across the primary motor cortex. The medial channels, surrounding Cz, showed significantly higher activations during stepping when compared to bimanual reaching. Our results extend the viability of fNIRS to study motor function and build a foundation for future investigation of motor development in infants during nascent functional behaviors and monitor how they may change with age or practice.
authors.affiliation: School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, 401 Washtenaw Ave. Central Campus Recreation Building, Ann Arbor, 48109-2214, MI, USA. ryonish@umich.edu.|Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, 300 N. Ingalls Street, Ann Arbor, 48109-0406, MI, USA. ryonish@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Ryota
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nishiyori
authors.affiliation: Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, 300 N. Ingalls Street, Ann Arbor, 48109-0406, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bisconti
authors.affiliation: School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, 401 Washtenaw Ave. Central Campus Recreation Building, Ann Arbor, 48109-2214, MI, USA.|Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, 300 N. Ingalls Street, Ann Arbor, 48109-0406, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Beverly
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ulrich
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D010108:Oxyhemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010108:Oxyhemoglobins
keywords: Functional near-infrared spectroscopy; Human; Motor control; Movement representations; Primary motor cortex