1 Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology-CNR, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy.
2 Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology-CNR, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy. a.cerasa@unicz.it.
3 Multimodal Functional Imaging Laboratory, Biomedical Engineering Department, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Quebec, H3A 2B4, Canada.
4 Physics Department and PERFORM Centre, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada.
5 Neurology and Neurosurgery Department, Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
6 Institute of Neurology, University Magna Graecia, Germaneto, CZ, Italy.

The movement time analyser task investigated with functional near infrared spectroscopy: an ecologic approach for measuring hemodynamic response in the motor system.

Aging Clin Exp Res. 2017 Apr;29(2):311-318

Authors: Vasta R, Cerasa A, Gramigna V, Augimeri A, Olivadese G, Pellegrino G, Martino I, Machado A, Cai Z, Caracciolo M, Grova C, Quattrone A

Abstract

AIMS: Movement time analyzer (MTA) is an objective instrument to evaluate the degree of motor impairment as well as to investigate the dopaminergic drug effect in Parkinson's disease patients. The aim of this study is to validate a new ecologic neuroimaging tool for quantifying MTA-related hemodynamic response of the cortical motor system by means of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).

MATERIALS: 11 right-handed healthy volunteers (six male and five female, age range 27-64 years) were studied with fNIRS and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while performing MTA task for each hand.

RESULTS: MTA performance was better for the dominant hand and younger participants. Both fNIRS and fMRI analyses revealed MTA-related increase of haemoglobin levels in the primary motor and premotor cortices contralateral to the moving hand. This response progressively increased with aging.

CONCLUSION: These findings supported the translation of fNIRS-based MTA behavioural tool in clinical practice.

PMID: 27055849 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]