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Afonso O, Avilés A, Álvarez CJ. Neural correlates of lexical, sublexical and motor processes in word handwriting. Brain Cogn 2025; 184:106272. [PMID: 39904155 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2025.106272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2024] [Revised: 01/29/2025] [Accepted: 01/30/2025] [Indexed: 02/06/2025]
Abstract
Writing recruits a vast neural network underpinning both linguistic and motor processes. Previous studies have tried to identify which brain areas underpin both the linguistic and motor aspects of writing. However, little is known about the neural substrate of the lexical and sublexical "routes" for spelling. In this fMRI study, participants (n = 25) copied or saw/read symbols or words. Words varied in lexical frequency and phonology-to-orthography (P-O) consistency. Anterior parts of the inferior frontal gyrus were selectively recruited when copying P-O inconsistent words, while the right Heschl's gyrus was recruited only when copying consistent words. Non-specific motor and linguistic areas were also identified. Our results contribute to our knowledge of the neural substrate of the lexical and sublexical spelling routes and suggest that different brain areas might be involved in the lexical processing of input (reading) and output (writing) orthography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Afonso
- Centre for Psychological Research, Oxford Brookes University, United Kingdom.
| | - Alberto Avilés
- School of Psychology and Counselling, The Open University, United Kingdom.
| | - Carlos J Álvarez
- Departmento de Psicología Cognitiva, Organizacional y Social and IUNE, Universidad de La Laguna, Spain.
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2
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Marano G, Kotzalidis GD, Lisci FM, Anesini MB, Rossi S, Barbonetti S, Cangini A, Ronsisvalle A, Artuso L, Falsini C, Caso R, Mandracchia G, Brisi C, Traversi G, Mazza O, Pola R, Sani G, Mercuri EM, Gaetani E, Mazza M. The Neuroscience Behind Writing: Handwriting vs. Typing-Who Wins the Battle? Life (Basel) 2025; 15:345. [PMID: 40141690 PMCID: PMC11943480 DOI: 10.3390/life15030345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2024] [Revised: 02/16/2025] [Accepted: 02/20/2025] [Indexed: 03/28/2025] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The advent of digital technology has significantly altered ways of writing. While typing has become the dominant mode of written communication, handwriting remains a fundamental human skill, and its profound impact on cognitive processes continues to be a topic of intense scientific scrutiny. METHODS This paper investigates the neural mechanisms underlying handwriting and typing, exploring the distinct cognitive and neurological benefits associated with each. By synthesizing findings from neuroimaging studies, we explore how handwriting and typing differentially activate brain regions associated with motor control, sensory perception, and higher-order cognitive functions. RESULTS Handwriting activates a broader network of brain regions involved in motor, sensory, and cognitive processing. Typing engages fewer neural circuits, resulting in more passive cognitive engagement. Despite the advantages of typing in terms of speed and convenience, handwriting remains an important tool for learning and memory retention, particularly in educational contexts. CONCLUSIONS This review contributes to the ongoing debate about the role of technology in education and cognitive development. By understanding the neural differences between handwriting and typing, we can gain insights into optimal learning strategies and potential cognitive advantages, in order to optimize educational, cognitive, and psychological methodologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Marano
- Unit of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario AgostinoGemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy (F.M.L.); (M.B.A.); (S.B.)
- Department of Neurosciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Accademia di Psicologia e Espressione Della Scrittura, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.R.)
| | - Georgios D. Kotzalidis
- Unit of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario AgostinoGemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy (F.M.L.); (M.B.A.); (S.B.)
- Department of Neurosciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Maria Lisci
- Unit of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario AgostinoGemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy (F.M.L.); (M.B.A.); (S.B.)
- Department of Neurosciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Benedetta Anesini
- Unit of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario AgostinoGemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy (F.M.L.); (M.B.A.); (S.B.)
- Department of Neurosciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Rossi
- Unit of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario AgostinoGemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy (F.M.L.); (M.B.A.); (S.B.)
- Department of Neurosciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Barbonetti
- Unit of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario AgostinoGemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy (F.M.L.); (M.B.A.); (S.B.)
- Department of Neurosciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Cangini
- Fondazione Luigi Einaudi, 00193 Rome, Italy;
- Osservatorio Carta, Penna & Digitale, 00193 Rome, Italy
| | - Alice Ronsisvalle
- Accademia di Psicologia e Espressione Della Scrittura, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.R.)
| | - Laura Artuso
- Accademia di Psicologia e Espressione Della Scrittura, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.R.)
| | - Cecilia Falsini
- Unit of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario AgostinoGemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy (F.M.L.); (M.B.A.); (S.B.)
- Department of Neurosciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Romina Caso
- Unit of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario AgostinoGemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy (F.M.L.); (M.B.A.); (S.B.)
- Department of Neurosciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Mandracchia
- Unit of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario AgostinoGemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy (F.M.L.); (M.B.A.); (S.B.)
- Department of Neurosciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Caterina Brisi
- Unit of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario AgostinoGemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy (F.M.L.); (M.B.A.); (S.B.)
- Department of Neurosciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Gianandrea Traversi
- Unit of Medical Genetics, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ospedale Isola Tiberina-Gemelli Isola, 00186 Rome, Italy
| | - Osvaldo Mazza
- Spine Surgery Department, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy;
| | - Roberto Pola
- Section of Internal Medicine and Thromboembolic Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriele Sani
- Unit of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario AgostinoGemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy (F.M.L.); (M.B.A.); (S.B.)
- Department of Neurosciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Eugenio Maria Mercuri
- Department Women Children and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy;
| | - Eleonora Gaetani
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario AgostinoGemelli IRCCS Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Unit of Internal Medicine, Cristo Re Hospital, 00167 Rome, Italy
| | - Marianna Mazza
- Unit of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario AgostinoGemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy (F.M.L.); (M.B.A.); (S.B.)
- Department of Neurosciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Accademia di Psicologia e Espressione Della Scrittura, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.R.)
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Pei L, Sommer W, Ouyang G. Orthographic character complexity modulates dynamic neural activity in skilled handwriting. Br J Psychol 2025; 116:149-169. [PMID: 39367804 PMCID: PMC11724685 DOI: 10.1111/bjop.12742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 09/23/2024] [Indexed: 10/07/2024]
Abstract
Handwriting is an outstanding case of a highly complex and efficient fine motor skill. However, little is known about its neural underpinnings during continuous handwriting production. In the present study, we examined the effects of orthographic character complexity (i.e. the stroke number of a Chinese character) on both neural and behavioural activities during an EEG-based naturalistic fluent sentence-handwriting task from 102 adult Chinese native speakers. For each written character, the interval between finishing the preceding character and its onset (inter-character interval) as well as the amplitudes of the onset-synchronized event-related potential (ERP) in pre- and post-onset time windows was defined as dependent variables. The effects of character complexity and other confounding factors were analysed with linear mixed models. Character complexity increased the inter-character interval and significantly affected ERP amplitudes in both pre- and post-onset time windows. The ERP pattern in the pre-event time window exhibited a dipole-like activation in the left motor cortex, and its amplitude increased with character complexity in line with the documented relationship between the lateralized readiness potential and motor complexity. This study demonstrates the feasibility of studying neurocognitive processes in complex naturalistic motor tasks and extends our knowledge about the dynamic pattern of handwriting-related neural activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leisi Pei
- Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Faculty of Education and Human DevelopmentThe Education University of Hong KongHong Kong SARChina
| | - Werner Sommer
- Department of PsychologyHumboldt‐Universität Zu BerlinBerlinGermany
- Department of PhysicsHong Kong Baptist UniversityHong Kong SARChina
- Faculty of EducationNational University of MalaysiaKuala LumpurMalaysia
| | - Guang Ouyang
- Complex Neural Signals Decoding Lab, Faculty of EducationThe University of Hong KongHong Kong SARChina
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Zheng Y, Zhang J, Yang Y, Xu M. Neural representation of sensorimotor features in language-motor areas during auditory and visual perception. Commun Biol 2025; 8:41. [PMID: 39799186 PMCID: PMC11724955 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-025-07466-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/03/2025] [Indexed: 01/15/2025] Open
Abstract
Speech processing involves a complex interplay between sensory and motor systems in the brain, essential for early language development. Recent studies have extended this sensory-motor interaction to visual word processing, emphasizing the connection between reading and handwriting during literacy acquisition. Here we show how language-motor areas encode motoric and sensory features of language stimuli during auditory and visual perception, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) combined with representational similarity analysis. Chinese-speaking adults completed tasks involving the perception of spoken syllables and written characters, alongside syllable articulation and finger writing tasks to localize speech-motor and writing-motor areas. We found that both language-motor and sensory areas generally encode production-related motoric features across modalities, indicating cooperative interactions between motor and sensory systems. Notably, sensory encoding within sensorimotor areas was observed during auditory speech perception, but not in visual character perception. These findings underscore the dual encoding capacities of language-motor areas, revealing both shared and distinct neural representation patterns across modalities, which may be linked to innate sensory-motor mechanisms and modality-specific processing demands. Our results shed light on the sensorimotor integration mechanisms underlying language perception, highlighting the importance of a cross-modality perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyi Zheng
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jianfeng Zhang
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Center for Brain Science and Learning Difficulties, Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Min Xu
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
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5
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Guida P, Michiels M, Redgrave P, Luque D, Obeso I. An fMRI meta-analysis of the role of the striatum in everyday-life vs laboratory-developed habits. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 141:104826. [PMID: 35963543 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The dorsolateral striatum plays a critical role in the acquisition and expression of stimulus-response habits that are learned in experimental laboratories. Here, we use meta-analytic procedures to contrast the neural circuits activated by laboratory-acquired habits with those activated by stimulus-response behaviours acquired in everyday-life. We confirmed that newly learned habits rely more on the anterior putamen with activation extending into caudate and nucleus accumbens. Motor and associative components of everyday-life habits were identified. We found that motor-dominant stimulus-response associations developed outside the laboratory primarily engaged posterior dorsal putamen, supplementary motor area (SMA) and cerebellum. Importantly, associative components were also represented in the posterior putamen. Thus, common neural representations for both naturalistic and laboratory-based habits were found in the left posterior and right anterior putamen. These findings suggest a partial common striatal substrate for habitual actions that are performed predominantly by stimulus-response associations represented in the posterior striatum. The overlapping neural substrates for laboratory and everyday-life habits supports the use of both methods for the analysis of habitual behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pasqualina Guida
- HM CINAC, Centro Integral de Neurociencias AC. Hospital Universitario HM Puerta del Sur, HM Hospitales, Madrid, Spain; CIBERNED, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Ph.D. Program in Neuroscience, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Cajal Institute, Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Mario Michiels
- HM CINAC, Centro Integral de Neurociencias AC. Hospital Universitario HM Puerta del Sur, HM Hospitales, Madrid, Spain; CIBERNED, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Ph.D. Program in Neuroscience, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Cajal Institute, Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Peter Redgrave
- Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - David Luque
- Departamento de Psicología Básica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Psicología Básica, Universidad de Málaga, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Obeso
- HM CINAC, Centro Integral de Neurociencias AC. Hospital Universitario HM Puerta del Sur, HM Hospitales, Madrid, Spain; CIBERNED, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Psychobiology department, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
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6
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Papadatou-Pastou M, Sampanis P, Koumzis I, Stefanopoulou S, Sousani D, Tsigkou A, Badcock NA. Cerebral laterality of writing in right- and left- handers: A functional transcranial Doppler ultrasound study. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 56:3921-3937. [PMID: 35636946 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The cerebral lateralization of written language has received very limited research attention in comparison to the wealth of studies on the cerebral lateralization of oral language. The purpose of the present study was to further our understanding of written language lateralization, by elucidating the relative contribution of language and motor functions. We compared written word generation with a task that has equivalent visuomotor demands but does not include language: the repeated drawing of symbols. We assessed cerebral laterality using functional transcranial Doppler ultrasound (fTCD), a non-invasive, perfusion-sensitive neuroimaging technique in 23 left- and 31 right-handed participants. Findings suggest that the linguistic aspect of written word generation recruited more left-hemispheric areas during writing, in right-handers compared to left-handers. This difference could be explained by greater variability in cerebral laterality patterns within left-handers or the possibility that the areas subserving language in left-handers are broader than in right-handers. Another explanation is that the attentional demands of the more novel symbol copying task (compared to writing) contributed more right-hemispheric activation in right-handers, but this could not be captured in left-handers due to ceiling effects. Future work could investigate such attentional demands using both simple and complex stimuli in the copying condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marietta Papadatou-Pastou
- School of Education, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.,Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Panagiotis Sampanis
- Psychology Department, School of Social Sciences, Birmingham City University, The Curzon Building, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Ioannis Koumzis
- School of Education, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Sofia Stefanopoulou
- School of Education, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Dionysia Sousani
- School of Education, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Athina Tsigkou
- School of Education, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Nicholas A Badcock
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia,, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.,Department of Cognitive Science, ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Macquarie University, 16 University Avenue, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia
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Shahab QS, Young IM, Dadario NB, Tanglay O, Nicholas PJ, Lin YH, Fonseka RD, Yeung JT, Bai MY, Teo C, Doyen S, Sughrue ME. A connectivity model of the anatomic substrates underlying Gerstmann syndrome. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac140. [PMID: 35706977 PMCID: PMC9189613 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The Gerstmann syndrome is a constellation of neurological deficits that include agraphia, acalculia, left-right discrimination and finger agnosia. Despite a growing interest in this clinical phenomenon, there remains controversy regarding the specific neuroanatomic substrates involved. Advancements in data-driven, computational modelling provides an opportunity to create a unified cortical model with greater anatomic precision based on underlying structural and functional connectivity across complex cognitive domains. A literature search was conducted for healthy task-based functional MRI and PET studies for the four cognitive domains underlying Gerstmann's tetrad using the electronic databases PubMed, Medline, and BrainMap Sleuth (2.4). Coordinate-based, meta-analytic software was utilized to gather relevant regions of interest from included studies to create an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) map for each cognitive domain. Machine-learning was used to match activated regions of the ALE to the corresponding parcel from the cortical parcellation scheme previously published under the Human Connectome Project (HCP). Diffusion spectrum imaging-based tractography was performed to determine the structural connectivity between relevant parcels in each domain on 51 healthy subjects from the HCP database. Ultimately 102 functional MRI studies met our inclusion criteria. A frontoparietal network was found to be involved in the four cognitive domains: calculation, writing, finger gnosis, and left-right orientation. There were three parcels in the left hemisphere, where the ALE of at least three cognitive domains were found to be overlapping, specifically the anterior intraparietal area, area 7 postcentral (7PC) and the medial intraparietal sulcus. These parcels surround the anteromedial portion of the intraparietal sulcus. Area 7PC was found to be involved in all four domains. These regions were extensively connected in the intraparietal sulcus, as well as with a number of surrounding large-scale brain networks involved in higher-order functions. We present a tractographic model of the four neural networks involved in the functions which are impaired in Gerstmann syndrome. We identified a 'Gerstmann Core' of extensively connected functional regions where at least three of the four networks overlap. These results provide clinically actionable and precise anatomic information which may help guide clinical translation in this region, such as during resective brain surgery in or near the intraparietal sulcus, and provides an empiric basis for future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qazi S. Shahab
- School of Medicine, University of New South Wales, 2052 Sydney, Australia
| | | | | | - Onur Tanglay
- Omniscient Neurotechnology, Sydney 2000, Australia
| | | | - Yueh-Hsin Lin
- Centre for Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery, Prince of Wales Private Hospital, Randwick 2031, Australia
| | - R. Dineth Fonseka
- Centre for Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery, Prince of Wales Private Hospital, Randwick 2031, Australia
| | - Jacky T. Yeung
- Centre for Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery, Prince of Wales Private Hospital, Randwick 2031, Australia
| | - Michael Y. Bai
- Centre for Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery, Prince of Wales Private Hospital, Randwick 2031, Australia
| | - Charles Teo
- Centre for Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery, Prince of Wales Private Hospital, Randwick 2031, Australia
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Baumann A, Tödt I, Knutzen A, Gless CA, Granert O, Wolff S, Marquardt C, Becktepe JS, Peters S, Witt K, Zeuner KE. Neural Correlates of Executed Compared to Imagined Writing and Drawing Movements: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:829576. [PMID: 35370576 PMCID: PMC8973008 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.829576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective In this study we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate whether motor imagery (MI) of handwriting and circle drawing activates a similar handwriting network as writing and drawing itself. Methods Eighteen healthy right-handed participants wrote the German word “Wellen” and drew continuously circles in a sitting (vertical position) and lying position (horizontal position) to capture kinematic handwriting parameters such as velocity, pressure and regularity of hand movements. Afterward, they performed the same tasks during fMRI in a MI and an executed condition. Results The kinematic analysis revealed a general correlation of handwriting parameters during sitting and lying except of pen pressure during drawing. Writing compared to imagined writing was accompanied by an increased activity of the ipsilateral cerebellum and the contralateral sensorimotor cortex. Executed compared to imagined drawing revealed elevated activity of a fronto–parieto-temporal network. By contrasting writing and drawing directly, executed writing induced an enhanced activation of the left somatosensory and premotor area. The comparison of the MI of these tasks revealed a higher involvement of occipital activation during imagined writing. Conclusion The kinematic results pointed to a high comparability of writing in a vertical and horizontal position. Overall, we observed highly overlapping cortical activity except of a higher involvement of motor control areas during motor execution. The sparse difference between writing and drawing can be explained by highly automatized writing in healthy individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Baumann
- Department of Neurology, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
- *Correspondence: Alexander Baumann,
| | - Inken Tödt
- Department of Neurology, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Arne Knutzen
- Department of Neurology, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Oliver Granert
- Department of Neurology, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Stephan Wolff
- Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | | | | | - Sönke Peters
- Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Karsten Witt
- Department of Neurology, Evangelical Hospital Oldenburg and Research Center Neurosensory Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, Germany
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Cheng CC, Ono Y, Whiteside BD, Brown EC, Jen CK, Coates PD. Real-time Diagnosis of Micro Powder Injection Molding Using Integrated Ultrasonic Sensors. INT POLYM PROC 2022. [DOI: 10.1515/ipp-2007-0003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Real-time diagnostics of ceramic powder injection molding using a commercial micromolding machine was performed using ultrasound. Miniature ultrasonic sensors were integrated onto the mold insert. Melt front, solidification, temperature variation and part detachment of the feedstock inside the mold cavity were observed. It has been demonstrated that ultrasonic velocity in feedstock inside the mold cavity, the ultrasonic contact duration during which the part and mold are in contact, and holding pressure can be used to assist with optimization of injection and cooling parameters to minimize energy consumption and maximize process efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- C.-C. Cheng
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, McGill University , Montreal, Quebec , Canada
| | - Y. Ono
- Industrial Materials Institute, National Research Council Canada , Boucherville, Quebec , Canada
| | - B. D. Whiteside
- IRC in Polymer Science & Technology, University of Bradford , Bradford , UK
| | - E. C. Brown
- IRC in Polymer Science & Technology, University of Bradford , Bradford , UK
| | - C.-K. Jen
- Industrial Materials Institute, National Research Council Canada , Boucherville, Quebec , Canada
| | - P. D. Coates
- IRC in Polymer Science & Technology, University of Bradford , Bradford , UK
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Evidence of graphomotor dysfunction in children with dyslexia A combined behavioural and fMRI experiment. Cortex 2022; 148:68-88. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2021.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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Vinci-Booher S, James KH. Protracted Neural Development of Dorsal Motor Systems During Handwriting and the Relation to Early Literacy Skills. Front Psychol 2021; 12:750559. [PMID: 34867637 PMCID: PMC8639586 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.750559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Handwriting is a complex visual-motor skill that affects early reading development. A large body of work has demonstrated that handwriting is supported by a widespread neural system comprising ventral-temporal, parietal, and frontal motor regions in adults. Recent work has demonstrated that this neural system is largely established by 8 years of age, suggesting that the development of this system occurs in young children who are still learning to read and write. We made use of a novel MRI-compatible writing tablet that allowed us to measure brain activation in 5-8-year-old children during handwriting. We compared activation during handwriting in children and adults to provide information concerning the developmental trajectory of the neural system that supports handwriting. We found that parietal and frontal motor involvement during handwriting in children is different from adults, suggesting that the neural system that supports handwriting changes over the course of development. Furthermore, we found that parietal and frontal motor activation correlated with a literacy composite score in our child sample, suggesting that the individual differences in the dorsal response during handwriting are related to individual differences in emerging literacy skills. Our results suggest that components of the widespread neural system supporting handwriting develop at different rates and provide insight into the mechanisms underlying the contributions of handwriting to early literacy development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karin H. James
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
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12
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Bonzano L, Bisio A, Pedullà L, Brichetto G, Bove M. Right Inferior Parietal Lobule Activity Is Associated With Handwriting Spontaneous Tempo. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:656856. [PMID: 34177447 PMCID: PMC8219918 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.656856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Handwriting is a complex activity including motor planning and visuomotor integration and referring to some brain areas identified as "writing centers." Although temporal features of handwriting are as important as spatial ones, to our knowledge, there is no evidence of the description of specific brain areas associated with handwriting tempo. People with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) show handwriting impairments that are mainly referred to as the temporal features of the task. The aim of this work was to assess differences in the brain activation pattern elicited by handwriting between PwMS and healthy controls (HC), with the final goal of identifying possible areas specific for handwriting tempo. Subjects were asked to write a sentence at their spontaneous speed. PwMS differed only in temporal handwriting features from HC and showed reduced activation with a subset of the clusters observed in HC. Spearman's correlation analysis was performed between handwriting temporal parameters and the activity in the brain areas resulting from the contrast analysis, HC > PwMS. We found that the right inferior parietal lobule (IPL) negatively correlated with the duration of the sentence, indicating that the higher the right IPL activity, the faster the handwriting performance. We propose that the right IPL might be considered a "writing tempo center."
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Bonzano
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Ambra Bisio
- Section of Human Physiology, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Ludovico Pedullà
- Scientific Research Area, Italian Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, Genoa, Italy
| | - Giampaolo Brichetto
- Scientific Research Area, Italian Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, Genoa, Italy.,Rehabilitation Center, Italian Multiple Sclerosis Society, Genoa, Italy
| | - Marco Bove
- Section of Human Physiology, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Genoa, Italy
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13
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Lin Z, Tam F, Churchill NW, Schweizer TA, Graham SJ. Tablet Technology for Writing and Drawing during Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Review. SENSORS 2021; 21:s21020401. [PMID: 33430023 PMCID: PMC7826671 DOI: 10.3390/s21020401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a powerful modality to study brain activity. To approximate naturalistic writing and drawing behaviours inside the scanner, many fMRI-compatible tablet technologies have been developed. The digitizing feature of the tablets also allows examination of behavioural kinematics with greater detail than using paper. With enhanced ecological validity, tablet devices have advanced the fields of neuropsychological tests, neurosurgery, and neurolinguistics. Specifically, tablet devices have been used to adopt many traditional paper-based writing and drawing neuropsychological tests for fMRI. In functional neurosurgery, tablet technologies have enabled intra-operative brain mapping during awake craniotomy in brain tumour patients, as well as quantitative tremor assessment for treatment outcome monitoring. Tablet devices also play an important role in identifying the neural correlates of writing in the healthy and diseased brain. The fMRI-compatible tablets provide an excellent platform to support naturalistic motor responses and examine detailed behavioural kinematics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongmin Lin
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada;
| | - Fred Tam
- Physical Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada;
| | - Nathan W. Churchill
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1T8, Canada; (N.W.C.); (T.A.S.)
| | - Tom A. Schweizer
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1T8, Canada; (N.W.C.); (T.A.S.)
- Division of Neurosurgery, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada
| | - Simon J. Graham
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada;
- Physical Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada;
- Correspondence:
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14
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Vinci-Booher S, James KH. Visual experiences during letter production contribute to the development of the neural systems supporting letter perception. Dev Sci 2020; 23:e12965. [PMID: 32176426 PMCID: PMC7901804 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Revised: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Letter production through handwriting creates visual experiences that may be important for the development of visual letter perception. We sought to better understand the neural responses to different visual percepts created during handwriting at different levels of experience. Three groups of participants, younger children, older children, and adults, ranging in age from 4.5 to 22 years old, were presented with dynamic and static presentations of their own handwritten letters, static presentations of an age-matched control's handwritten letters, and typeface letters during fMRI. First, data from each group were analyzed through a series of contrasts designed to highlight neural systems that were most sensitive to each visual experience in each age group. We found that younger children recruited ventral-temporal cortex during perception and this response was associated with the variability present in handwritten forms. Older children and adults also recruited ventral-temporal cortex; this response, however, was significant for typed letter forms but not variability. The adult response to typed letters was more distributed than in the children, including ventral-temporal, parietal, and frontal motor cortices. The adult response was also significant for one's own handwritten letters in left parietal cortex. Second, we compared responses among age groups. Compared to older children, younger children demonstrated a greater fusiform response associated with handwritten form variability. When compared to adults, younger children demonstrated a greater response to this variability in left parietal cortex. Our results suggest that the visual perception of the variability present in handwritten forms that occurs during handwriting may contribute to developmental changes in the neural systems that support letter perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Vinci-Booher
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Karin H James
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
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15
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Vinci-Booher S, James KH. Ecological validity of experimental set-up affects parietal involvement during letter production. Neurosci Lett 2020; 731:134920. [PMID: 32272143 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2020.134920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 03/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Studies of symbol production using fMRI often use techniques that introduce an artificial pairing between motor production and visual perception. These techniques allow participants to see their own output by recording their pen trajectories using a touchscreen-only tablet and displaying these productions on a mirror placed above their head. We recently developed an MR-safe writing tablet with video display that allows participants to see their own hand and their own productions while producing symbols in real time on the surface where they are producing them-allowing for more ecologically valid fMRI studies of production. We conducted a study to determine whether the participation of posterior parietal cortex during symbol production was affected by the pairing of motor production and visual feedback associated with the two types of tablets. We performed ROI analyses in intraparietal sulcus while adult participants produced letters to dictation using either a touchscreen-only tablet (no visual guidance of the hand) (n = 14) or using a touchscreen-and-video-display tablet (visual guidance of the hand) (n = 14). We found that left posterior intraparietal sulcus was more active during production with the touchscreen-only tablet than during production with the touchscreen-and-video-display tablet. These results suggest that posterior parietal involvement during production tasks is associated with the somewhat artificial visual-motor pairing that is introduced by the techniques used in some studies of symbol production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Vinci-Booher
- 1101 E. 10th Street, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, United States.
| | - Karin H James
- 1101 E. 10th Street, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, United States.
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16
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Saarinen T, Kujala J, Laaksonen H, Jalava A, Salmelin R. Task-Modulated Corticocortical Synchrony in the Cognitive-Motor Network Supporting Handwriting. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:1871-1886. [PMID: 31670795 PMCID: PMC7132916 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Revised: 08/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Both motor and cognitive aspects of behavior depend on dynamic, accurately timed neural processes in large-scale brain networks. Here, we studied synchronous interplay between cortical regions during production of cognitive-motor sequences in humans. Specifically, variants of handwriting that differed in motor variability, linguistic content, and memorization of movement cues were contrasted to unveil functional sensitivity of corticocortical connections. Data-driven magnetoencephalography mapping (n = 10) uncovered modulation of mostly left-hemispheric corticocortical interactions, as quantified by relative changes in phase synchronization. At low frequencies (~2–13 Hz), enhanced frontoparietal synchrony was related to regular handwriting, whereas premotor cortical regions synchronized for simple loop production and temporo-occipital areas for a writing task substituting normal script with loop patterns. At the beta-to-gamma band (~13–45 Hz), enhanced synchrony was observed for regular handwriting in the central and frontoparietal regions, including connections between the sensorimotor and supplementary motor cortices and between the parietal and dorsal premotor/precentral cortices. Interpreted within a modular framework, these modulations of synchrony mainly highlighted interactions of the putative pericentral subsystem of hand coordination and the frontoparietal subsystem mediating working memory operations. As part of cortical dynamics, interregional phase synchrony varies depending on task demands in production of cognitive-motor sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timo Saarinen
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, FI-00076 AALTO, Espoo, Finland
- Aalto NeuroImaging, Aalto University, FI-00076 AALTO, Espoo, Finland
- Address correspondence to Timo Saarinen, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 12200, FI-00076 AALTO, Espoo, Finland.
| | - Jan Kujala
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, FI-00076 AALTO, Espoo, Finland
- Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, FI-40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Hannu Laaksonen
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, FI-00076 AALTO, Espoo, Finland
- Aalto NeuroImaging, Aalto University, FI-00076 AALTO, Espoo, Finland
| | - Antti Jalava
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, FI-00076 AALTO, Espoo, Finland
| | - Riitta Salmelin
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, FI-00076 AALTO, Espoo, Finland
- Aalto NeuroImaging, Aalto University, FI-00076 AALTO, Espoo, Finland
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17
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Yang Y, Tam F, Graham SJ, Sun G, Li J, Gu C, Tao R, Wang N, Bi HY, Zuo Z. Men and women differ in the neural basis of handwriting. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:2642-2655. [PMID: 32090433 PMCID: PMC7294055 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
There is an ongoing debate about whether, and to what extent, males differ from females in their language skills. In the case of handwriting, a composite language skill involving language and motor processes, behavioral observations consistently show robust sex differences but the mechanisms underlying the effect are unclear. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in a copying task, the present study examined the neural basis of sex differences in handwriting in 53 healthy adults (ages 19–28, 27 males). Compared to females, males showed increased activation in the left posterior middle frontal gyrus (Exner's area), a region thought to support the conversion between orthographic and graphomotor codes. Functional connectivity between Exner's area and the right cerebellum was greater in males than in females. Furthermore, sex differences in brain activity related to handwriting were independent of language material. This study identifies a novel neural signature of sex differences in a hallmark of human behavior, and highlights the importance of considering sex as a factor in scientific research and clinical applications involving handwriting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Center for Brain Science and Learning Difficulties, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
| | - Fred Tam
- Physical Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - Simon J Graham
- Physical Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Guochen Sun
- Department of Neurosurgery, First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Junjun Li
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Center for Brain Science and Learning Difficulties, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chanyuan Gu
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Center for Brain Science and Learning Difficulties, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ran Tao
- Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Nizhuan Wang
- Artificial Intelligence and Neuro-informatics Engineering (ARINE) Laboratory, School of Computer Engineering, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, China
| | - Hong-Yan Bi
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Center for Brain Science and Learning Difficulties, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhentao Zuo
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,The Innovation Center of Excellence on Brain Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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18
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Qiu X, Han X, Wang Y, Ding W, Sun Y, Zhou Y, Lei H, Lin F. Interaction Between Smoking and Internet Gaming Disorder on Spontaneous Brain Activity. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:586114. [PMID: 33343420 PMCID: PMC7744462 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.586114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Converging lines of evidence indicates that smoking and internet gaming disorder (IGD) affect spontaneous brain activity, respectively. However, little is known about whether these two factors work together on the human brain. In this study, we investigated the interaction between smoking and IGD on local spontaneous brain activity using amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) based on resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI). Forty-six cigarette smokers, 38 IGD individuals, 34 participants with both IGD and cigarette smoking (IGD-Smoking), and 60 healthy individuals involved in the study. Voxel-wise analysis of covariance of ALFF revealed that there were significant interactions between IGD by smoking in the right medial pre-frontal cortex (MPFC)/ventral striatum, bilateral cerebellar, and visual-related regions as well as the left temporal gyrus. In the right MPFC/ventral striatum and left temporal gyrus, ALFF in smoking group was significantly higher than healthy group while there were no significant ALFF differences between IGD-Smoking group and IGD group. While in the bilateral cerebellar and visual-related regions, ALFF in the smoking group was significantly lower than healthy group while ALFF in IGD-Smoking group did not show significant difference with IGD group. In addition, in the smoking group, ALFF of the right MPFC/ventral striatum was associated positively with anxiety and depression scores while the ALFF value in the smoking group had a trend toward negative correlation with SDS scores in the bilateral cerebellar and visual-related regions. The ALFF value in the smoking group was associated positively with anxiety score in the left temporal gyrus. These findings indicate that smoking and IGD interacted with each other in the human brain. Our results, in terms of spontaneous brain activity, may imply the fact that IGD people are more tended to get smoking. Moreover, it is possible to predict that smokers may be more easily to get internet addiction than healthy people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianxin Qiu
- National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xu Han
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yao Wang
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Weina Ding
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yawen Sun
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Zhou
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hao Lei
- National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fuchun Lin
- National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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19
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Lupo M, Siciliano L, Olivito G, Masciullo M, Bozzali M, Molinari M, Cercignani M, Silveri MC, Leggio M. Non-linear spelling in writing after a pure cerebellar lesion. Neuropsychologia 2019; 132:107143. [PMID: 31302109 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.107143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The most common deficits in processing written language result from damage to the graphemic buffer system and refer to semantic and lexical problems or difficulties in phoneme-graphene conversion. However, a writing disorder that has not yet been studied in depth is the non-linear spelling phenomenon. Indeed, although some cases have been described, no report has exhaustively explained the cognitive mechanism and the anatomical substrates underlying this process. In the present study, we analyzed the modality of non-linear writing in a patient affected by a focal cerebellar lesion, who presented with an alteration of the normal trend to write the order of the letters. Based on this evidence, we analyzed the functional connectivity between the cerebellum and the brain network that subtends handwriting and demonstrated how the cerebellar lesion of the patient affected the connections between the cerebellum and cortical areas that support the anatomical system of writing. This is the first report of non-linear spelling in a patient with a lesion outside the fronto-parietal network, specifically with a focal cerebellar lesion. We propose that non-linear writing can be interpreted in view of the role of the cerebellum in timing and sequential processing. Thus, considering the current functional connectivity data, we hypothesize that the cerebellum might be relevant in the mechanism that allows the correct activation timing of letters within a string and placement of the letters in a specific sequential writing order.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Lupo
- Ataxia Laboratory, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.
| | - Libera Siciliano
- PhD Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Giusy Olivito
- Ataxia Laboratory, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; Neuroimaging Laboratory, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Marco Bozzali
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; Clinical Imaging Science Center, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK
| | - Marco Molinari
- Neurorehabilitation 1 and Spinal Center, Neuro-Robot Rehabilitation Lab, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Mara Cercignani
- Clinical Imaging Science Center, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK
| | | | - Maria Leggio
- Ataxia Laboratory, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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20
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Vinci-Booher S, Cheng H, James KH. An Analysis of the Brain Systems Involved with Producing Letters by Hand. J Cogn Neurosci 2018; 31:138-154. [PMID: 30240307 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Complex visual-motor behaviors dominate human-environment interactions. Letter production, writing individual letters by hand, is an example of a complex visual-motor behavior composed of numerous behavioral components, including the required motor movements and the percepts that those motor movements create. By manipulating and isolating components of letter production, we provide experimental evidence that this complex visual-motor behavior is supported by a widespread neural system that is composed of smaller subsystems related to different sensorimotor components. Adult participants hand-printed letters with and without "ink" on an MR-safe digital writing tablet, perceived static and dynamic representations of their own handwritten letters, and perceived typeface letters during fMRI scanning. Our results can be summarized by three main findings: (1) Frontoparietal systems were associated with the motor component of letter production, whereas temporo-parietal systems were more associated with the visual component. (2) The more anterior regions of the left intraparietal sulcus were more associated with the motor component, whereas the more posterior regions were more associated with the visual component, with an area of visual-motor overlap in the posterior intraparietal sulcus. (3) The left posterior intraparietal sulcus and right fusiform gyrus responded similarly to both visual and motor components, and both regions also responded more during the perception of one's own handwritten letters compared with perceiving typed letters. These findings suggest that the neural systems recruited during complex visual-motor behaviors are composed of a set of interrelated sensorimotor subsystems that support the full behavior in different ways and, furthermore, that some of these subsystems can be rerecruited during passive perception in the absence of the full visual-motor behavior.
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21
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Vinci-Booher S, Sturgeon J, James T, James K. The MRItab: A MR-compatible touchscreen with video-display. J Neurosci Methods 2018; 306:10-18. [PMID: 29803918 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2018.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Revised: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A touchscreen interface permits rich user interactions for research in many fields, but is rarely found within a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) environment due to difficulties adapting conventional technologies to the strong electromagnetic fields. Conventional MR-compatible video display technology uses either large-screen displays that are placed outside of the bore of the MRI itself, or projectors located beyond the participant's reach, making touch interfaces impossible. NEW METHOD Here, we describe the MR-compatibility of the 'MRItab' in terms of MR safety and image quality. The MRItab adapts inexpensive off-the-shelf components with special signal-driver circuitry and shielding to bring the touchscreen interface into the MR environment, without adversely affecting MRI image quality, thereby making touch interfaces possible. RESULTS Our testing demonstrated that the functioning of the MRItab was not affected by the functioning of the MRI scanner and that the MRItab did not adversely affect the image data acquired. Participants were able to interact naturally with the MRItab during MRI scanning. COMPARISON WITH OTHER METHOD (S) The MRItab is the first MR-compatible touchscreen device with video-display screen capabilities designed for use in the MRI environment. This interactive digital device is the first to allow participants to see their hands directly as they interact with a touch-sensitive display screen, resulting in high ecological validity. CONCLUSIONS The MRItab provides a methodological advantage for research in many fields, given the realistic human-computer interaction it supports.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Vinci-Booher
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Indiana University, United States
| | - Jeffrey Sturgeon
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Indiana University, United States
| | - Thomas James
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Indiana University, United States
| | - Karin James
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Indiana University, United States.
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22
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Linke A, Roach-Fox E, Vriezen E, Prasad AN, Cusack R. Altered activation and functional asymmetry of exner's area but not the visual word form area in a child with sudden-onset, persistent mirror writing. Neuropsychologia 2018; 117:322-331. [PMID: 29870776 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Revised: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Mirror writing is often produced by healthy children during early acquisition of literacy, and has been observed in adults following neurological disorders or insults. The neural mechanisms responsible for involuntary mirror writing remain debated, but in healthy children, it is typically attributed to the delayed development of a process of overcoming mirror invariance while learning to read and write. We present an unusual case of sudden-onset, persistent mirror writing in a previously typical seven-year-old girl. Using her dominant right hand only, she copied and spontaneously produced all letters, words and sentences, as well as some numbers and objects, in mirror image. Additionally, she frequently misidentified letter orientations in perceptual assessments. Clinical, neuropsychological, and functional neuroimaging studies were carried out over sixteen months. Neurologic and ophthalmologic examinations and a standard clinical MRI scan of the head were normal. Neuropsychological testing revealed average scores on most tests of intellectual function, language function, verbal learning and memory. Visual perception and visual reasoning were average, with the exception of below average form constancy, and mild difficulties on some visual memory tests. Activation and functional connectivity of the reading and writing network was assessed with fMRI. During a reading task, the VWFA showed a strong response to words in mirror but not in normal letter orientation - similar to what has been observed in typically developing children previously - but activation was atypically reduced in right primary visual cortex and Exner's Area. Resting-state connectivity within the reading and writing network was similar to that of age-matched controls, but hemispheric asymmetry between the balance of motor-to-visual input was found for Exner's Area. In summary, this unusual case suggests that a disruption to visual-motor integration rather than to the VWFA can contribute to sudden-onset, persistent mirror writing in the absence of clinically detectable neurological insult.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Linke
- The Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5B7 Canada; San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth Roach-Fox
- Children's Hospital of Western Ontario, 800 Commissioners Road East, London, Ontario, N6A 5W9,Canada
| | - Ellen Vriezen
- Children's Hospital of Western Ontario, 800 Commissioners Road East, London, Ontario, N6A 5W9,Canada
| | - Asuri Narayan Prasad
- Children's Hospital of Western Ontario, 800 Commissioners Road East, London, Ontario, N6A 5W9,Canada; Children's Health Research Institute, 800 Commissioners Road East, London, Ontario, N6C 2V5 Canada
| | - Rhodri Cusack
- The Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5B7 Canada; Children's Health Research Institute, 800 Commissioners Road East, London, Ontario, N6C 2V5 Canada; Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
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23
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Wallis P, Richards T, Boord P, Abbott R, Berninger V. Relationships between Translation and Transcription Processes during fMRI Connectivity Scanning and Coded Translation and Transcription in Writing Products after Scanning in Children with and without Transcription Disabilities. CREATIVE EDUCATION 2018; 8:716-748. [PMID: 29600113 PMCID: PMC5868987 DOI: 10.4236/ce.2017.85055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Students with transcription disabilities (dysgraphia/impaired handwriting, n = 13 or dyslexia/impaired word spelling, n = 16) or without transcription disabilities (controls) completed transcription and translation (idea generating, planning, and creating) writing tasks during fMRI connectivity scanning and compositions after scanning, which were coded for transcription and translation variables. Compositions in both groups showed diversity in genre beyond usual narrative-expository distinction; groups differed in coded transcription but not translation variables. For the control group specific transcription or translation tasks during scanning correlated with corresponding coded transcription or translation skills in composition, but connectivity during scanning was not correlated with coded handwriting during composing in dysgraphia group and connectivity during translating was not correlated with any coded variable during composing in dyslexia group. Results are discussed in reference to the trend in neuroscience to use connectivity from relevant seed points while performing tasks and trends in education to recognize the generativity (creativity) of composing at both the genre and syntax levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Wallis
- Educational Psychology-Learning Sciences and Human Development, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Todd Richards
- Integrated Brain Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Peter Boord
- Integrated Brain Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Robert Abbott
- Educational Psychology-Quantitative Studies, Statistics and Measurement, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Virginia Berninger
- Educational Psychology-Learning Sciences and Human Development, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
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Baldo JV, Kacinik N, Ludy C, Paulraj S, Moncrief A, Piai V, Curran B, Turken A, Herron T, Dronkers NF. Voxel-based lesion analysis of brain regions underlying reading and writing. Neuropsychologia 2018; 115:51-59. [PMID: 29572061 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2017] [Revised: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/17/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
The neural basis of reading and writing has been a source of inquiry as well as controversy in the neuroscience literature. Reading has been associated with both left posterior ventral temporal zones (termed the "visual word form area") as well as more dorsal zones, primarily in left parietal cortex. Writing has also been associated with left parietal cortex, as well as left sensorimotor cortex and prefrontal regions. Typically, the neural basis of reading and writing are examined in separate studies and/or rely on single case studies exhibiting specific deficits. Functional neuroimaging studies of reading and writing typically identify a large number of activated regions but do not necessarily identify the core, critical hubs. Last, due to constraints on the functional imaging environment, many previous studies have been limited to measuring the brain activity associated with single-word reading and writing, rather than sentence-level processing. In the current study, the brain correlates of reading and writing at both the single- and sentence-level were studied in a large sample of 111 individuals with a history of chronic stroke using voxel-based lesion symptom mapping (VLSM). VLSM provides a whole-brain, voxel-by-voxel statistical analysis of the role of distinct regions in a particular behavior by comparing performance of individuals with and without a lesion at every voxel. Rather than comparing individual cases or small groups with particular behavioral dissociations in reading and writing, VLSM allowed us to analyze data from a large, well-characterized sample of stroke patients exhibiting a wide range of reading and writing impairments. The VLSM analyses revealed that reading was associated with a critical left inferior temporo-occipital focus, while writing was primarily associated with the left supramarginal gyrus. Separate VLSM analyses of single-word versus sentence-level reading showed that sentence-level reading was uniquely associated with anterior to mid-portions of the middle and superior temporal gyri. Both single-word and sentence-level writing overlapped to a great extent in the left supramarginal gyrus, but sentence-level writing was associated with additional underlying white matter pathways such as the internal capsule. These findings suggest that critical aspects of reading and writing processes diverge, with reading relying critically on the ventral visual recognition stream and writing relying on a dorsal visuo-spatial-motor stream.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana V Baldo
- VA Northern California Health Care System, 150 Muir Rd. (126R), Martinez, CA 94553, USA.
| | | | - Carl Ludy
- VA Northern California Health Care System, 150 Muir Rd. (126R), Martinez, CA 94553, USA
| | - Selvi Paulraj
- VA Northern California Health Care System, 150 Muir Rd. (126R), Martinez, CA 94553, USA; Palo Alto University, USA
| | - Amber Moncrief
- VA Northern California Health Care System, 150 Muir Rd. (126R), Martinez, CA 94553, USA
| | - Vitória Piai
- Radboud University, Donders Centre for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, The Netherlands; Radboudumc, Department of Medical Psychology, The Netherlands
| | - Brian Curran
- VA Northern California Health Care System, 150 Muir Rd. (126R), Martinez, CA 94553, USA
| | - And Turken
- VA Northern California Health Care System, 150 Muir Rd. (126R), Martinez, CA 94553, USA
| | - Tim Herron
- VA Northern California Health Care System, 150 Muir Rd. (126R), Martinez, CA 94553, USA
| | - Nina F Dronkers
- VA Northern California Health Care System, 150 Muir Rd. (126R), Martinez, CA 94553, USA; University of California, Davis, USA
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25
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Karimpoor M, Churchill NW, Tam F, Fischer CE, Schweizer TA, Graham SJ. Functional MRI of Handwriting Tasks: A Study of Healthy Young Adults Interacting with a Novel Touch-Sensitive Tablet. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:30. [PMID: 29487511 PMCID: PMC5816817 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Handwriting is a complex human activity that engages a blend of cognitive and visual motor skills. Current understanding of the neural correlates of handwriting has largely come from lesion studies of patients with impaired handwriting. Task-based fMRI studies would be useful to supplement this work. To address concerns over ecological validity, previously we developed a fMRI-compatible, computerized tablet system for writing and drawing including visual feedback of hand position and an augmented reality display. The purpose of the present work is to use the tablet system in proof-of-concept to characterize brain activity associated with clinically relevant handwriting tasks, originally developed to characterize handwriting impairments in Alzheimer’s disease patients. As a prelude to undertaking fMRI studies of patients, imaging was performed of twelve young healthy subjects who copied sentences, phone numbers, and grocery lists using the fMRI-compatible tablet. Activation maps for all handwriting tasks consisted of a distributed network of regions in reasonable agreement with previous studies of handwriting performance. In addition, differences in brain activity were observed between the test subcomponents consistent with different demands of neural processing for successful task performance, as identified by investigating three quantitative behavioral metrics (writing speed, stylus contact force and stylus in air time). This study provides baseline behavioral and brain activity results for fMRI studies that adopt this handwriting test to characterize patients with brain impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahta Karimpoor
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Nathan W Churchill
- Department of Neurosurgery, Keenan Research Centre of the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Fred Tam
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Corinne E Fischer
- Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Tom A Schweizer
- Department of Neurosurgery, Keenan Research Centre of the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Simon J Graham
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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26
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Lenka A, Jhunjhunwala KR, Panda R, Saini J, Bharath RD, Yadav R, Pal PK. Altered brain network measures in patients with primary writing tremor. Neuroradiology 2017; 59:1021-1029. [PMID: 28779337 DOI: 10.1007/s00234-017-1895-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Primary writing tremor (PWT) is a rare task-specific tremor, which occurs only while writing or while adopting the hand in the writing position. The basic pathophysiology of PWT has not been fully understood. The objective of this study is to explore the alterations in the resting state functional brain connectivity, if any, in patients with PWT using graph theory-based analysis. METHODS This prospective case-control study included 10 patients with PWT and 10 age and gender matched healthy controls. All subjects underwent MRI in a 3-Tesla scanner. Several parameters of small-world functional connectivity were compared between patients and healthy controls by using graph theory-based analysis. RESULTS There were no significant differences in age, handedness (all right handed), gender distribution (all were males), and MMSE scores between the patients and controls. The mean age at presentation of tremor in the patient group was 51.7 ± 8.6 years, and the mean duration of tremor was 3.5 ± 1.9 years. Graph theory-based analysis revealed that patients with PWT had significantly lower clustering coefficient and higher path length compared to healthy controls suggesting alterations in small-world architecture of the brain. The clustering coefficients were lower in PWT patients in left and right medial cerebellum, right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and left posterior parietal cortex (PPC). CONCLUSION Patients with PWT have significantly altered small-world brain connectivity in bilateral medial cerebellum, right DLPFC, and left PPC. Further studies with larger sample size are required to confirm our results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Lenka
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Hosur Road, Bangalore, Karnataka, 560029, India.,Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Road, Bangalore, Karnataka, 560029, India
| | - Ketan Ramakant Jhunjhunwala
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Hosur Road, Bangalore, Karnataka, 560029, India.,Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Road, Bangalore, Karnataka, 560029, India
| | - Rajanikant Panda
- Department of Neuroimaging and Interventional Radiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Hosur Road, Bangalore, Karnataka, 560029, India
| | - Jitender Saini
- Department of Neuroimaging and Interventional Radiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Hosur Road, Bangalore, Karnataka, 560029, India
| | - Rose Dawn Bharath
- Department of Neuroimaging and Interventional Radiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Hosur Road, Bangalore, Karnataka, 560029, India
| | - Ravi Yadav
- Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Road, Bangalore, Karnataka, 560029, India
| | - Pramod Kumar Pal
- Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Road, Bangalore, Karnataka, 560029, India.
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27
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How specialized are writing-specific brain regions? An fMRI study of writing, drawing and oral spelling. Cortex 2017; 88:66-80. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2016.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2015] [Revised: 05/21/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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28
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Lagarrigue A, Longcamp M, Anton JL, Nazarian B, Prévot L, Velay JL, Cao F, Frenck-Mestre C. Activation of writing-specific brain regions when reading Chinese as a second language. Effects of training modality and transfer to novel characters. Neuropsychologia 2017; 97:83-97. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.01.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2016] [Revised: 11/29/2016] [Accepted: 01/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Bisio A, Pedullà L, Bonzano L, Ruggeri P, Brichetto G, Bove M. Evaluation of Handwriting Movement Kinematics: From an Ecological to a Magnetic Resonance Environment. Front Hum Neurosci 2016; 10:488. [PMID: 27746727 PMCID: PMC5040726 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Writing is a means of communication which requires complex motor, perceptual, and cognitive skills. If one of these abilities gets lost following traumatic events or due to neurological diseases, handwriting could deteriorate. Occupational therapy practitioners provide rehabilitation services for people with impaired handwriting. However, to determine the effectiveness of handwriting interventions no studies assessed whether the proposed treatments improved the kinematics of writing movement or had an effect at the level of the central nervous system. There is need to find new quantitative methodologies able to describe the behavioral and the neural outcomes of the rehabilitative interventions for handwriting. In the present study we proposed a combined approach that allowed evaluating the kinematic parameters of handwriting movements, acquired by means of a magnetic resonance-compatible tablet, and their neural correlates obtained simultaneously from a functional magnetic resonance imaging examination. Results showed that the system was reliable in term of reproducibility of the kinematic data during a test/re-test procedure. Further, despite the modifications with respect to an ecological writing movement condition, the kinematic parameters acquired inside the MR-environment were descriptive of individuals’ movement features. At last, the imaging protocol succeeded to show the activation of the cerebral regions associated with the production of writing movement in healthy people. From these findings, this methodology seems to be promising to evaluate the handwriting movement deficits and the potential alterations in the neural activity in those individuals who have handwriting difficulties. Finally, it would provide a mean to quantitatively assess the effect of a rehabilitative treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ambra Bisio
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology and Centro Polifunzionale di Scienze Motorie, University of Genoa Genoa, Italy
| | - Ludovico Pedullà
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology and Centro Polifunzionale di Scienze Motorie, University of GenoaGenoa, Italy; Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of GenoaGenoa, Italy
| | - Laura Bonzano
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa Genoa, Italy
| | - Piero Ruggeri
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology and Centro Polifunzionale di Scienze Motorie, University of Genoa Genoa, Italy
| | - Giampaolo Brichetto
- Scientific Research Area, Italian Multiple Sclerosis Foundation Genoa, Italy
| | - Marco Bove
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology and Centro Polifunzionale di Scienze Motorie, University of Genoa Genoa, Italy
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Abstract
The present study investigated possible differences in left- and right-handers' writing performance. An equal number of left- and right-handed Greek children ( N = 182) ages 7 to 12 years were examined using the Greek adaptation of Luria-Nebraska's neuropsychological battery in spontaneous writing, copying, and writing to dictation. Analysis showed a significant effect of age in writing performance and writing speed, while handedness was not significantly related to writing performance or writing speed. However, the incidence of right-handers was slightly higher among proficient writers, whereas the left-handers were clearly overrepresented among poor writers. The results are discussed on the grounds of neuropathological as well as hormonal-developmental theories of handedness.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Vlachos
- Department of Special Education, University of Thessaly, Argonafton & Filellinon str., Volos 38 221, Greece.
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31
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Bonoti F, Vlachos F, Metallidou P. Writing and Drawing Performance of School Age Children. SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL 2016. [DOI: 10.1177/0143034305052916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The aim of our study was to investigate possible relationships between writing and drawing performance of school-aged children, in order to compare the two skills at the within-individual level. The sample consisted of 182 right- and left-handed children, aged 8 to 12 years. Children were examined by the Greek adaptation of the Luria-Nebraska neuropsychological battery in spontaneous writing, copying and writing to dictation and they were asked to complete four different drawing tasks. The results produced significant correlations between drawing scores and scores in all three writing tasks. Significant differences in drawing performance among proficient and poor hand writers were also found. On the other hand, there were no significant differences between right- and left-handers’ performance on the above tasks, despite the overrepresentation of left-handed amongst between poor writers. Our findings create a fruitful ground for the further study of early drawing as a means to predict later handwriting problems.
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32
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Wenger E, Kühn S, Verrel J, Mårtensson J, Bodammer NC, Lindenberger U, Lövdén M. Repeated Structural Imaging Reveals Nonlinear Progression of Experience-Dependent Volume Changes in Human Motor Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2016; 27:2911-2925. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Jhunjhunwala K, George L, Kotikalapudi R, Gupta PK, Lenka A, Stezin A, Naduthota RM, Yadav R, Gupta AK, Saini J, Pal PK. A preliminary study of the neuroanatomical correlates of primary writing tremor: role of cerebellum. Neuroradiology 2016; 58:827-36. [PMID: 27216204 DOI: 10.1007/s00234-016-1700-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2016] [Accepted: 05/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION To explore the neuroanatomical correlates of primary writing tremor (PWT) and the role of cerebellum, using advanced structural neuroimaging. Till date, there are no studies exploring the gray and white matter changes using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in PWT. METHODS Ten male patients with PWT were evaluated clinically and with magnetic resonance imaging. VBM and DTI images of patients were compared with that of 10 healthy male subjects. Spatially unbiased infra-tentorial template (SUIT) analysis was done to investigate the alterations of cerebellar gray matter. Region-of-interest analysis was performed on regions observed to be significantly different on DTI analysis. RESULTS The mean duration of illness and mean age of the patients were 3.5 ± 1.9 and 51.7 ± 8.6 years, respectively. On VBM analysis, the cluster of gray matter atrophy was found in bilateral cerebellar areas of culmen and left declive, right superior and medial frontal gyrus, bilateral middle frontal gyrus, bilateral anterior cingulate gyrus, and bilateral parahippocampal gyrus. DTI showed significantly reduced fractional anisotrophy of the anterior thalamic radiation, cingulum, and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus in PWT patients compared to controls. The axial diffusivity, mean diffusivity, and radial diffusivity maps did not reveal any significant differences. On SUIT analysis, significant atrophy was found in right uvula and semilunar lobule in patients with PWT compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS Our study found that patients with PWT had predominant gray matter atrophy in parts of cerebellum and frontal lobe along with white matter changes of the cingulum and frontal lobe connections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ketan Jhunjhunwala
- Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Hosur Road, Bangalore, 560029, Karnataka, India.,Department of Clinical Neurosciences, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Lija George
- Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Hosur Road, Bangalore, 560029, Karnataka, India
| | - Raviteja Kotikalapudi
- Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Hosur Road, Bangalore, 560029, Karnataka, India
| | - Pradeep Kumar Gupta
- Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Hosur Road, Bangalore, 560029, Karnataka, India
| | - Abhishek Lenka
- Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Hosur Road, Bangalore, 560029, Karnataka, India.,Department of Clinical Neurosciences, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Albert Stezin
- Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Hosur Road, Bangalore, 560029, Karnataka, India.,Department of Clinical Neurosciences, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Rajini M Naduthota
- Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Hosur Road, Bangalore, 560029, Karnataka, India
| | - Ravi Yadav
- Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Hosur Road, Bangalore, 560029, Karnataka, India
| | - Arun Kumar Gupta
- Departments of Neuroimaging and Interventional Radiology, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Jitender Saini
- Departments of Neuroimaging and Interventional Radiology, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Pramod Kumar Pal
- Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Hosur Road, Bangalore, 560029, Karnataka, India.
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Pattamadilok C, Ponz A, Planton S, Bonnard M. Contribution of writing to reading: Dissociation between cognitive and motor process in the left dorsal premotor cortex. Hum Brain Mapp 2016; 37:1531-43. [PMID: 26813381 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2015] [Revised: 12/04/2015] [Accepted: 01/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional brain imaging studies reported activation of the left dorsal premotor cortex (PMd), that is, a main area in the writing network, in reading tasks. However, it remains unclear whether this area is causally relevant for written stimulus recognition or its activation simply results from a passive coactivation of reading and writing networks. Here, we used chronometric paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to address this issue by disrupting the activity of the PMd, the so-called Exner's area, while participants performed a lexical decision task. Both words and pseudowords were presented in printed and handwritten characters. The latter was assumed to be closely associated with motor representations of handwriting gestures. We found that TMS over the PMd in relatively early time-windows, i.e., between 60 and 160 ms after the stimulus onset, increased reaction times to pseudoword without affecting word recognition. Interestingly, this result pattern was found for both printed and handwritten characters, that is, regardless of whether the characters evoked motor representations of writing actions. Our result showed that under some circumstances the activation of the PMd does not simply result from passive association between reading and writing networks but has a functional role in the reading process. At least, at an early stage of written stimuli recognition, this role seems to depend on a common sublexical and serial process underlying writing and pseudoword reading rather than on an implicit evocation of writing actions during reading as typically assumed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aurélie Ponz
- Centre IRMf de Marseille, Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, CNRS UMR 7289 and Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Samuel Planton
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, LPL, UMR 7309, 13100 Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - Mireille Bonnard
- Aix-Marseille Université, Inserm, Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes UMR_S1106, Marseille, France
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Rogić Vidaković M, Gabelica D, Vujović I, Šoda J, Batarelo N, Džimbeg A, Zmajević Schönwald M, Rotim K, Đogaš Z. A novel approach for monitoring writing interferences during navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation mappings of writing related cortical areas. J Neurosci Methods 2015; 255:139-50. [PMID: 26279342 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2015.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2015] [Revised: 08/03/2015] [Accepted: 08/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It has recently been shown that navigated repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS) is useful in preoperative neurosurgical mapping of motor and language brain areas. In TMS mapping of motor cortices the evoked responses can be quantitatively monitored by electromyographic (EMG) recordings. No such setup exists for monitoring of writing during nTMS mappings of writing related cortical areas. NEW METHOD We present a novel approach for monitoring writing during nTMS mappings of motor writing related cortical areas. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD(S) To our best knowledge, this is the first demonstration of quantitative monitoring of motor evoked responses from hand by EMG, and of pen related activity during writing with our custom made pen, together with the application of chronometric TMS design and patterned protocol of rTMS. RESULTS The method was applied in four healthy subjects participating in writing during nTMS mapping of the premotor cortical area corresponding to BA 6 and close to the superior frontal sulcus. The results showed that stimulation impaired writing in all subjects. The corresponding spectra of measured signal related to writing movements was observed in the frequency band 0-20 Hz. Magnetic stimulation affected writing by suppressing normal writing frequency band. CONCLUSION The proposed setup for monitoring of writing provides additional quantitative data for monitoring and the analysis of rTMS induced writing response modifications. The setup can be useful for investigation of neurophysiologic mechanisms of writing, for therapeutic effects of nTMS, and in preoperative mapping of language cortical areas in patients undergoing brain surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maja Rogić Vidaković
- Laboratory for Human and Experimental Neurophysiology (LAHEN), Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Split, Šoltanska 2, 21000 Split, Croatia.
| | - Dragan Gabelica
- Laboratory for Human and Experimental Neurophysiology (LAHEN), Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Split, Šoltanska 2, 21000 Split, Croatia.
| | - Igor Vujović
- Faculty of Maritime Studies, University of Split, Zrinsko-Frankopanska 38, 21000 Split, Croatia.
| | - Joško Šoda
- Faculty of Maritime Studies, University of Split, Zrinsko-Frankopanska 38, 21000 Split, Croatia.
| | - Nikolina Batarelo
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Split, Croatia, R. Boškovića 32, 21000 Split, Croatia.
| | - Andrija Džimbeg
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Split, Croatia, R. Boškovića 32, 21000 Split, Croatia.
| | - Marina Zmajević Schönwald
- Department of Neurosurgery, Clinical Unit for Intraoperative Neurophysiologic Monitoring, Clinical Medical Centre "Sisters of Mercy", Vinogradska cesta 29, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Krešimir Rotim
- Department of Neurosurgery, Clinical Unit for Intraoperative Neurophysiologic Monitoring, Clinical Medical Centre "Sisters of Mercy", Vinogradska cesta 29, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Zoran Đogaš
- Laboratory for Human and Experimental Neurophysiology (LAHEN), Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Split, Šoltanska 2, 21000 Split, Croatia.
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Wu T, Zhang J, Hallett M, Feng T, Hou Y, Chan P. Neural correlates underlying micrographia in Parkinson's disease. Brain 2015; 139:144-60. [PMID: 26525918 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awv319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Accepted: 09/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Micrographia is a common symptom in Parkinson's disease, which manifests as either a consistent or progressive reduction in the size of handwriting or both. Neural correlates underlying micrographia remain unclear. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate micrographia-related neural activity and connectivity modulations. In addition, the effect of attention and dopaminergic administration on micrographia was examined. We found that consistent micrographia was associated with decreased activity and connectivity in the basal ganglia motor circuit; while progressive micrographia was related to the dysfunction of basal ganglia motor circuit together with disconnections between the rostral supplementary motor area, rostral cingulate motor area and cerebellum. Attention significantly improved both consistent and progressive micrographia, accompanied by recruitment of anterior putamen and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Levodopa improved consistent micrographia accompanied by increased activity and connectivity in the basal ganglia motor circuit, but had no effect on progressive micrographia. Our findings suggest that consistent micrographia is related to dysfunction of the basal ganglia motor circuit; while dysfunction of the basal ganglia motor circuit and disconnection between the rostral supplementary motor area, rostral cingulate motor area and cerebellum likely contributes to progressive micrographia. Attention improves both types of micrographia by recruiting additional brain networks. Levodopa improves consistent micrographia by restoring the function of the basal ganglia motor circuit, but does not improve progressive micrographia, probably because of failure to repair the disconnected networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Wu
- 1 Department of Neurobiology, Key Laboratory on Neurodegenerative Disorders of Ministry of Education, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China 2 Beijing Key Laboratory on Parkinson's Disease, Parkinson Disease Centre of Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Jiarong Zhang
- 1 Department of Neurobiology, Key Laboratory on Neurodegenerative Disorders of Ministry of Education, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China 2 Beijing Key Laboratory on Parkinson's Disease, Parkinson Disease Centre of Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Mark Hallett
- 3 Human Motor Control Section, Medical Neurology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Tao Feng
- 2 Beijing Key Laboratory on Parkinson's Disease, Parkinson Disease Centre of Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China 4 China National Clinical Research Centre for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China 5 Department of Neurology, Centre for Neurodegenerative Disease, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanan Hou
- 1 Department of Neurobiology, Key Laboratory on Neurodegenerative Disorders of Ministry of Education, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China 2 Beijing Key Laboratory on Parkinson's Disease, Parkinson Disease Centre of Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Piu Chan
- 1 Department of Neurobiology, Key Laboratory on Neurodegenerative Disorders of Ministry of Education, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China 2 Beijing Key Laboratory on Parkinson's Disease, Parkinson Disease Centre of Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
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Vandenborre D, van Dun K, Engelborghs S, Mariën P. Apraxic agraphia following thalamic damage: Three new cases. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2015; 150:153-165. [PMID: 26460984 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2015.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2014] [Revised: 04/05/2015] [Accepted: 05/02/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Apraxic agraphia (AA) is a so-called peripheral writing disorder following disruption of the skilled movement plans of writing while the central processes that subserve spelling are intact. It has been observed in a variety of etiologically heterogeneous neurological disorders typically associated with lesions located in the language dominant parietal and frontal region. The condition is characterized by a hesitant, incomplete, imprecise or even illegible graphomotor output. Letter formation cannot be attributed to sensorimotor, extrapyramidal or cerebellar dysfunction affecting the writing limb. Detailed clinical, neurocognitive, neurolinguistic and (functional) neuroimaging characteristics of three unique cases are reported that developed AA following a thalamic stroke. In marked contrast to impaired handwriting, non-handwriting skills, such as oral spelling, were hardly impaired. Quantified Tc-99m ECD SPECT consistently showed a decreased perfusion in the anatomoclinically suspected prefrontal regions. The findings suggest crucial involvement of the anterior (and medial) portion of the left thalamus within the neural network subserving the graphomotor system. Functional neuroimaging findings seem to indicate that AA after focal thalamic damage represents a diaschisis phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorien Vandenborre
- Clinical and Experimental Neurolinguistics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium; Cepos, Rehabilitation Centre, Rooienberg 21, B-2570 Duffel, Belgium
| | - Kim van Dun
- Clinical and Experimental Neurolinguistics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sebastiaan Engelborghs
- Department of Neurology & Memory Clinic, ZNA Middelheim General Hospital, Lindendreef 1, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium; Reference Center for Biological Markers of Dementia (BIODEM), Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Behavior, Institute Born-Bunge, University of Antwerp (UA), Universiteitsplein 1, BE-2610 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Peter Mariën
- Clinical and Experimental Neurolinguistics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium; Department of Neurology & Memory Clinic, ZNA Middelheim General Hospital, Lindendreef 1, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium.
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38
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Drawing and writing: An ALE meta-analysis of sensorimotor activations. Brain Cogn 2015; 98:15-26. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2015.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2014] [Revised: 02/10/2015] [Accepted: 05/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Abstract
To investigate the neural substrate of typewriting Japanese words and to detect the difference between the neural substrate of typewriting and handwriting, we conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study in 16 healthy volunteers. All subjects were skillful touch typists and performed five tasks: a typing task, a writing task, a reading task, and two control tasks. Three brain regions were activated during both the typing and the writing tasks: the left superior parietal lobule, the left supramarginal gyrus, and the left premotor cortex close to Exner’s area. Although typing and writing involved common brain regions, direct comparison between the typing and the writing task revealed greater left posteromedial intraparietal cortex activation in the typing task. In addition, activity in the left premotor cortex was more rostral in the typing task than in the writing task. These findings suggest that, although the brain circuits involved in Japanese typewriting are almost the same as those involved in handwriting, there are brain regions that are specific for typewriting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuichi Higashiyama
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Medicine, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
- Department of Neurology, International University of Health and Welfare, Mita Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Katsuhiko Takeda
- Department of Neurology, International University of Health and Welfare, Mita Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshiaki Someya
- Center for Advanced Research for Logic and Sensibility, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Kuroiwa
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Medicine, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Fumiaki Tanaka
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Medicine, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
- * E-mail:
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Potgieser ARE, van der Hoorn A, de Jong BM. Cerebral activations related to writing and drawing with each hand. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0126723. [PMID: 25955655 PMCID: PMC4425548 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0126723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2014] [Accepted: 04/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Writing is a sequential motor action based on sensorimotor integration in visuospatial and linguistic functional domains. To test the hypothesis of lateralized circuitry concerning spatial and language components involved in such action, we employed an fMRI paradigm including writing and drawing with each hand. In this way, writing-related contributions of dorsal and ventral premotor regions in each hemisphere were assessed, together with effects in wider distributed circuitry. Given a right-hemisphere dominance for spatial action, right dorsal premotor cortex dominance was expected in left-hand writing while dominance of the left ventral premotor cortex was expected during right-hand writing. Methods Sixteen healthy right-handed subjects were scanned during audition-guided writing of short sentences and simple figure drawing without visual feedback. Tapping with a pencil served as a basic control task for the two higher-order motor conditions. Activation differences were assessed with Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM). Results Writing and drawing showed parietal-premotor and posterior inferior temporal activations in both hemispheres when compared to tapping. Drawing activations were rather symmetrical for each hand. Activations in left- and right-hand writing were left-hemisphere dominant, while right dorsal premotor activation only occurred in left-hand writing, supporting a spatial motor contribution of particularly the right hemisphere. Writing contrasted to drawing revealed left-sided activations in the dorsal and ventral premotor cortex, Broca’s area, pre-Supplementary Motor Area and posterior middle and inferior temporal gyri, without parietal activation. Discussion The audition-driven postero-inferior temporal activations indicated retrieval of virtual visual form characteristics in writing and drawing, with additional activation concerning word form in the left hemisphere. Similar parietal processing in writing and drawing pointed at a common mechanism by which such visually formatted information is used for subsequent sensorimotor integration along a dorsal visuomotor pathway. In this, the left posterior middle temporal gyrus subserves phonological-orthographical conversion, dissociating dorsal parietal-premotor circuitry from perisylvian circuitry including Broca's area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriaan R. E. Potgieser
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Neuroimaging center, University Medical Center, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Anouk van der Hoorn
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Neuroimaging center, University Medical Center, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Bauke M. de Jong
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Neuroimaging center, University Medical Center, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
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Fiz JA, Faundez-Zanuy M, Monte-Moreno E, Alcobé JR, Andreo F, Gomez R, Manzano JR. Short term oxygen therapy effects in hypoxemic patients measured by drawing analysis. COMPUTER METHODS AND PROGRAMS IN BIOMEDICINE 2015; 118:330-336. [PMID: 25682736 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2015.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2014] [Revised: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 01/26/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic hypoxemia has deleterious effects on psychomotor function that can affect daily life. There are no clear results regarding short term therapy with low concentrations of O2 in hypoxemic patients. We seek to demonstrate, by measuring the characteristics of drawing, these effects on psychomotor function of hypoxemic patients treated with O2. METHODS Eight patients (7/1) M/F, age 69.5 (9.9) yr, mean (SD) with hypoxemia (Pa O2 62.2 (6.9) mmHg) performed two drawings of pictures. Tests were performed before and after 30 min breathing with O2. RESULTS Stroke velocity increased after O2 for the house drawing (i.e. velocity 27.6 (5.5) mm/s basal, 30.9 (7.1) mm/s with O2, mean (SD), p<0.025, Wilcoxon test). The drawing time 'down' or fraction time the pen is touching the paper during the drawing phase decreased (i.e. time down 20.7 (6.6) s basal, 17.4 (6.3) s with O2, p<0.017, Wilcoxon test). CONCLUSIONS This study shows that in patients with chronic hypoxemia, a short period of oxygen therapy produces changes in psychomotor function that can be measured by means of drawing analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Antonio Fiz
- Pulmonology Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias Pujol, Badalona, Spain(1); TALP Research Center, UPC, Barcelona, Spain(3).
| | | | | | - Josep Roure Alcobé
- Escola Universitària Politècnica de Mataró, Tecnocampus Mataró, Spain(2).
| | - Felipe Andreo
- Pulmonology Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias Pujol, Badalona, Spain(1).
| | - Rosa Gomez
- Pulmonology Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias Pujol, Badalona, Spain(1).
| | - Juan Ruiz Manzano
- Pulmonology Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias Pujol, Badalona, Spain(1).
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Yuan Y, Brown S. The neural basis of mark making: a functional MRI study of drawing. PLoS One 2014; 9:e108628. [PMID: 25271440 PMCID: PMC4182721 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0108628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2014] [Accepted: 09/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Compared to most other forms of visually-guided motor activity, drawing is unique in that it "leaves a trail behind" in the form of the emanating image. We took advantage of an MRI-compatible drawing tablet in order to examine both the motor production and perceptual emanation of images. Subjects participated in a series of mark making tasks in which they were cued to draw geometric patterns on the tablet's surface. The critical comparison was between when visual feedback was displayed (image generation) versus when it was not (no image generation). This contrast revealed an occipito-parietal stream involved in motion-based perception of the emerging image, including areas V5/MT+, LO, V3A, and the posterior part of the intraparietal sulcus. Interestingly, when subjects passively viewed animations of visual patterns emerging on the projected surface, all of the sensorimotor network involved in drawing was strongly activated, with the exception of the primary motor cortex. These results argue that the origin of the human capacity to draw and write involves not only motor skills for tool use but also motor-sensory links between drawing movements and the visual images that emanate from them in real time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Yuan
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Steven Brown
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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43
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Mariën P, Ackermann H, Adamaszek M, Barwood CHS, Beaton A, Desmond J, De Witte E, Fawcett AJ, Hertrich I, Küper M, Leggio M, Marvel C, Molinari M, Murdoch BE, Nicolson RI, Schmahmann JD, Stoodley CJ, Thürling M, Timmann D, Wouters E, Ziegler W. Consensus paper: Language and the cerebellum: an ongoing enigma. CEREBELLUM (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2014; 13:386-410. [PMID: 24318484 PMCID: PMC4090012 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-013-0540-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 222] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
In less than three decades, the concept "cerebellar neurocognition" has evolved from a mere afterthought to an entirely new and multifaceted area of neuroscientific research. A close interplay between three main strands of contemporary neuroscience induced a substantial modification of the traditional view of the cerebellum as a mere coordinator of autonomic and somatic motor functions. Indeed, the wealth of current evidence derived from detailed neuroanatomical investigations, functional neuroimaging studies with healthy subjects and patients and in-depth neuropsychological assessment of patients with cerebellar disorders shows that the cerebellum has a cardinal role to play in affective regulation, cognitive processing, and linguistic function. Although considerable progress has been made in models of cerebellar function, controversy remains regarding the exact role of the "linguistic cerebellum" in a broad variety of nonmotor language processes. This consensus paper brings together a range of different viewpoints and opinions regarding the contribution of the cerebellum to language function. Recent developments and insights in the nonmotor modulatory role of the cerebellum in language and some related disorders will be discussed. The role of the cerebellum in speech and language perception, in motor speech planning including apraxia of speech, in verbal working memory, in phonological and semantic verbal fluency, in syntax processing, in the dynamics of language production, in reading and in writing will be addressed. In addition, the functional topography of the linguistic cerebellum and the contribution of the deep nuclei to linguistic function will be briefly discussed. As such, a framework for debate and discussion will be offered in this consensus paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Mariën
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Neurolinguistics, CLIN, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium,
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Motomura K, Fujii M, Maesawa S, Kuramitsu S, Natsume A, Wakabayashi T. Association of dorsal inferior frontooccipital fasciculus fibers in the deep parietal lobe with both reading and writing processes: a brain mapping study. J Neurosurg 2014; 121:142-8. [PMID: 24655122 DOI: 10.3171/2014.2.jns131234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Alexia and agraphia are disorders common to the left inferior parietal lobule, including the angular and supramarginal gyri. However, it is still unclear how these cortical regions interact with other cortical sites and what the most important white matter tracts are in relation to reading and writing processes. Here, the authors present the case of a patient who underwent an awake craniotomy for a left inferior parietal lobule glioma using direct cortical and subcortical electrostimulation. The use of subcortical stimulation allowed identification of the specific white matter tracts associated with reading and writing. These tracts were found as portions of the dorsal inferior frontooccipital fasciculus (IFOF) fibers in the deep parietal lobe that are responsible for connecting the frontal lobe to the superior parietal lobule. These findings are consistent with previous diffusion tensor imaging tractography and functional MRI studies, which suggest that the IFOF may play a role in the reading and writing processes. This is the first report of transient alexia and agraphia elicited through intraoperative direct subcortical electrostimulation, and the findings support the crucial role of the IFOF in reading and writing.
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45
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Developmental kinesiology: Three levels of motor control in the assessment and treatment of the motor system. J Bodyw Mov Ther 2014; 18:23-33. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2013.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2012] [Revised: 03/11/2013] [Accepted: 04/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Roux FE, Durand JB, Réhault E, Planton S, Draper L, Démonet JF. The neural basis for writing from dictation in the temporoparietal cortex. Cortex 2014; 50:64-75. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2013.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2013] [Revised: 06/24/2013] [Accepted: 09/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Plamondon R, O'Reilly C, Rémi C, Duval T. The lognormal handwriter: learning, performing, and declining. Front Psychol 2013; 4:945. [PMID: 24391610 PMCID: PMC3867641 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2013] [Accepted: 11/29/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The generation of handwriting is a complex neuromotor skill requiring the interaction of many cognitive processes. It aims at producing a message to be imprinted as an ink trace left on a writing medium. The generated trajectory of the pen tip is made up of strokes superimposed over time. The Kinematic Theory of rapid human movements and its family of lognormal models provide analytical representations of these strokes, often considered as the basic unit of handwriting. This paradigm has not only been experimentally confirmed in numerous predictive and physiologically significant tests but it has also been shown to be the ideal mathematical description for the impulse response of a neuromuscular system. This latter demonstration suggests that the lognormality of the velocity patterns can be interpreted as reflecting the behavior of subjects who are in perfect control of their movements. To illustrate this interpretation, we present a short overview of the main concepts behind the Kinematic Theory and briefly describe how its models can be exploited, using various software tools, to investigate these ideal lognormal behaviors. We emphasize that the parameters extracted during various tasks can be used to analyze some underlying processes associated with their realization. To investigate the operational convergence hypothesis, we report on two original studies. First, we focus on the early steps of the motor learning process as seen as a converging behavior toward the production of more precise lognormal patterns as young children practicing handwriting start to become more fluent writers. Second, we illustrate how aging affects handwriting by pointing out the increasing departure from the ideal lognormal behavior as the control of the fine motricity begins to decline. Overall, the paper highlights this developmental process of merging toward a lognormal behavior with learning, mastering this behavior to succeed in performing a given task, and then gradually deviating from it with aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Réjean Plamondon
- Laboratoire Scribens, Département de Génie Électrique, École Polytechnique de MontréalMontréal, QC, Canada
| | - Christian O'Reilly
- Laboratoire Scribens, Département de Génie Électrique, École Polytechnique de MontréalMontréal, QC, Canada
- Département de psychiatrie, Université de MontréalMontréal, QC, Canada
| | - Céline Rémi
- Département de Mathématiques et Informatique, LAMIA, Université des Antilles et de la Guyanne, Campus de FouillolePointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, France
| | - Thérésa Duval
- Département de Mathématiques et Informatique, LAMIA, Université des Antilles et de la Guyanne, Campus de FouillolePointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, France
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De Smet HJ, Paquier P, Verhoeven J, Mariën P. The cerebellum: its role in language and related cognitive and affective functions. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2013; 127:334-342. [PMID: 23333152 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2012.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2012] [Revised: 11/09/2012] [Accepted: 11/12/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The traditional view on the cerebellum as the sole coordinator of motor function has been substantially redefined during the past decades. Neuroanatomical, neuroimaging and clinical studies have extended the role of the cerebellum to the modulation of cognitive and affective processing. Neuroanatomical studies have demonstrated cerebellar connectivity with the supratentorial association areas involved in higher cognitive and affective functioning, while functional neuroimaging and clinical studies have provided evidence of cerebellar involvement in a variety of cognitive and affective tasks. This paper reviews the recently acknowledged role of the cerebellum in linguistic and related cognitive and behavioral-affective functions. In addition, typical cerebellar syndromes such as the cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome (CCAS) and the posterior fossa syndrome (PFS) will be briefly discussed and the current hypotheses dealing with the presumed neurobiological mechanisms underlying the linguistic, cognitive and affective modulatory role of the cerebellum will be reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyo Jung De Smet
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Neurolinguistics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
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49
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Van Hoorn JF, Maathuis CGB, Hadders-Algra M. Neural correlates of paediatric dysgraphia. Dev Med Child Neurol 2013; 55 Suppl 4:65-8. [PMID: 24237283 DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.12310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Writing is an important skill that is related both to school performance and to psychosocial outcomes such as the child's self-esteem. Deficits in handwriting performance are frequently encountered in children with developmental coordination disorder. This review focuses on what is known about the neural correlates of atypical handwriting in children. Knowledge of the neural correlates is derived from studies using clinical case designs (e.g. lesion studies), studies using neuroimaging, and assessment of minor neurological dysfunction. The two functional imaging studies suggest a contribution of cortical areas and the cerebellum. The largest study indicated that cortical areas in all regions of the brain are involved (frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital). The two lesion studies confirmed cerebellar involvement. The findings of the study on minor neurological dysfunction in children with writing problems correspond to the imaging results. The limited data on the neural substrate of paediatric dysgraphia suggest that at least a subset of the children with dysgraphia have dysfunctions in extensive supraspinal networks. In others, dysfunction may be restricted to either the cerebellum or specific cortical sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessika F Van Hoorn
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Center for Rehabilitation, Groningen, the Netherlands
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50
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Planton S, Jucla M, Roux FE, Démonet JF. The “handwriting brain”: A meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies of motor versus orthographic processes. Cortex 2013; 49:2772-87. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2013.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2013] [Revised: 05/23/2013] [Accepted: 05/30/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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