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Hypoperfusion without stroke alters motor activation in the opposite hemisphere
Author(s) -
Krakauer John W.,
Radoeva Petya D.,
Zarahn Eric,
Wydra Jennifer,
Lazar Ronald M.,
Hirsch Joy,
Marshall Randolph S.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.20286
Subject(s) - stroke (engine) , perfusion , cardiology , medicine , cerebral hypoperfusion , neuroscience , right hemisphere , lateralization of brain function , physical medicine and rehabilitation , psychology , audiology , physics , thermodynamics
To specifically investigate the effect that large‐vessel disease may have on cortical reorganization, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to study patients with unilateral hemispheric hypoperfusion and impaired vasomotor reactivity from critical internal carotid or middle cerebral artery disease but without stroke. We hypothesized that when these patients used the hand contralateral to the hypoperfused hemisphere they would show unique activation in motor‐related areas of the normally perfused hemisphere, that is, ipsilateral activation. We found that normal performance of two motor tasks was associated with increased ipsilateral hemispheric activation in the patients compared with age‐matched controls. In addition, although task difficulty had an effect on ipsilateral activation, the increased ipsilateral activation seen in patients was not dependent on task difficulty. Our findings demonstrate that hemodynamic compromise alone is sufficient to cause atypical ipsilateral activation. This activation may serve to maintain normal motor performance. Ann Neurol 2004