2004 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

Motor hand representation in cortical area44

Research Project

Project/Area Number	15590918
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	一般
Research Field	Neurology
Research Institution	University of Occupational and Environmental Health
Principal Investigator	UOZUMI Takenori University of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, Assist. Prof, 医学部, 助教授 (00160226)
Project Period (FY)	2003 – 2004
Keywords	area44 / magnetic stimlation / motor area / motoe evoked potentioal
Research Abstract	Background : In order to elucidate whether area 44 of human frontal cortex is essential for the organization of voluntary hand movements or not, we examined effects of single transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of human area 44 on voluntary hand movement and EMG activities in hand muscles. Method : Results : Single TMS over area 44 could easily interrupt target-oriented hand movements. Human area 44 has a facilitatory and inhibitory effects over both tonic and phasic finger movements, not only action imitation. We show that single TMS of area 44 produces motor evoked potential (MEP) from hand muscles. Conclusion: These results are the first direct evidence to demonstrate that human area 44 is strongly involved in voluntary hand movements and has direct fast-conducting corticospinal projections.

(2 results)