Information processing in human parieto-frontal circuits during goal-directed bimanual movements

• Published in: NeuroImage (Orlando, Fla.) Vol. 31; no. 1; pp. 264 - 278
• Main Authors: Wenderoth, Nicole, Toni, Ivan, Bedeleem, Sigrid, Debaere, Filiep, Swinnen, Stephan P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 15-05-2006; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adult; Attention - physiology; Automatic Data Processing; Bimanual directional interference; Biomechanical Phenomena; Brain; Brain Mapping; Cerebellum - physiology; Cross-modal integration; Effective connectivity; Feedback - physiology; Female; Frontal Lobe - physiology; Functional Laterality - physiology; Globus Pallidus - physiology; Goals; Humans; Human–monkey analogy; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Imaging, Three-Dimensional; Macaca; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Mental Processes - physiology; MIP; Nerve Net - physiology; Neural Pathways - physiology; Orientation - physiology; Psychomotor Performance - physiology; Psychophysics; Putamen - physiology; Thalamus - physiology; Cross-modal integration; IPS; PEc; Bimanual directional interference; Human–monkey analogy; V6; V6A; SFS; AIP; PoCS; F1; F2; F3; F4; F5; PEip (PEa); CS; F7; LIP; PrCS; MIP; PE; IPSa; TOS; IPSd; VIP; IPSh; Effective connectivity
• ISSN: 1053-8119; 1095-9572
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2005.11.033

It is known that, in macaques, movements guided by somatosensory information engage anterior parietal and posterior precentral regions. Movements performed with both visual and somatosensory feedback additionally activate posterior parietal and anterior precentral areas. It remains unclear whether the human parieto-frontal circuits exhibit a similar functional organization.
Here, we employed a directional interference task requiring a continuous update of sensory information for the on-line control of movement direction, while brain activity was measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Directional interference arises when bimanual movements occur along different directions in joint space. Under these circumstances, the presence of visual information does not substantially alter performance, such that we could vary the amount and type of sensory information used during on-line guidance of goal-directed movements without affecting motor output.
Our results confirmed that in humans, as in macaques, movements guided by somatosensory information engages anterior parietal and posterior precentral regions, while movements performed with both visual and somatosensory information activate posterior parietal and anterior precentral areas. We provide novel evidence on how the interaction of specific portions of the dorsal parietal and precentral cortex in the right hemisphere might generate spatial representations by integrating different sensory modalities during goal-directed movements.