Functional MRI study: passive motor paradigm in the assessment of sensorimotor system

The fMRI study of 7 healthy volunteers was performed to evaluatethe neuron networks of sensorimotor system during activeand passive movements of the left and right index fingers. Whileperforming all the tasks, the predominant activation of primarysensorimotor, premotor, supplementary motor areas, secondarysensory zones were shown on the contralateral side, as well asipsilateral cerebellar activation. It was demonstrated that brainactivation areas in both types of paradigm were corresponding,as well as the activation clusters size, amplitude and voxel coordinates,with the maximum values in the primary motor and sensorycortex. These results allow recommending the paradigm ofpassive index finger movements in given rate for the evaluation ofsensorimotor system in patients with movement disorders.