A Method to Capture Six-Degrees-of-Freedom Mechanical Measurements of Isometric Shoulder and Elbow Torques during Event-Related fMRI

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments investigating cortical activity while controlling task performance are difficult to conduct due to the high magnetic field environment and a lack of compatible measurement tools. We describe a method to measure the generation of isometric shoulder and elbow torques with a six-degrees-of-freedom (DOF) load cell during an event-related fMRI study. Feasibility of this method is demonstrated by finding cortical activity on the motor cortices in a participant during an event-related study of shoulder abduction and elbow flexion. The described methodology permits researchers to control and measure intersubject and intrasubject motor task performance during event-related brain imaging.