Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at 3 Tesla provides a powerful tool to investigate the sensorimotor processes involved in the neural control of human movement. The long term objective of the investigator is to examine the neurophysiological processes, as measured by blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) contrast, involved in the motor control of healthy individuals and extend these paradigms to study the influence of intervention strategies (e.g. rehabilitation, pharmacology) on the physiology of aging and disease. The specific purpose of this proposal is to examine the neural systems underlying the spatial and temporal components of the mechanism that transfers visual signals into motor commands---a visuomotor process. The proposed studies will measure BOLD contrast fMRI and isometric force output from human participants while they perform continuous feedback-based force production. The experiments will examine two hypotheses in two specific aims.
Aim 1 tests the hypothesis that the temporal component of the visuomotor process is localized in the parietal cortex and the cerebellum bilaterally.
Aim 2 tests the hypothesis that the spatial component of the visuomotor process is also localized in the parietal cortex and the cerebellum bilaterally. It is further hypothesized that the spatial regions within the parietal cortex and cerebellum will be different from the temporal areas shown in Aim1. Collectively, these findings will advance our fundamental understanding of human systems neuroscience and improve feedback models of visuomotor control. These findings will have further implications for better understanding the visuomotor control deficits associated with aging, and diseased persons with Parkinson's disease, ataxia, and cerebellar deficits.
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