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Is one motor cortex enough for two hands?
Author(s) -
Fiori Simona,
Staudt Martin,
Pannek Kerstin,
Borghetti Davide,
Biagi Laura,
Scelfo Danilo,
Rose Stephen E,
Tosetti Michela,
Cioni Giovanni,
Guzzetta Andrea
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
developmental medicine and child neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.658
H-Index - 143
eISSN - 1469-8749
pISSN - 0012-1622
DOI - 10.1111/dmcn.12817
Subject(s) - transcranial magnetic stimulation , motor cortex , neuroscience , somatosensory system , corticospinal tract , psychology , lesion , primary motor cortex , tractography , lateralization of brain function , cortex (anatomy) , dissociation (chemistry) , pyramidal tracts , motor control , magnetic resonance imaging , diffusion mri , medicine , stimulation , radiology , chemistry , psychiatry
We report on a patient with mirror movements sustained by a mono‐hemispheric fast control of bilateral hand muscles and normal hand function. Transcranial magnetic stimulation of the right motor cortex evoked contractions of muscles in both hands while no responses were observed from the left hemisphere. Somatosensory‐evoked potentials, functional magnetic resonance, and diffusion tractography showed evidence of sensorimotor dissociation and asymmetry of corticospinal projections, suggestive of reorganization after early unilateral left brain lesion. This is the first evidence that, in certain rare conditions, good hand function is possible with ipsilateral corticospinal reorganization, supporting the role of unexplored mechanisms of motor recovery.