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Quantitative Analysis of Asymmetrical Cortical Activity Based on Power Spectrum Changes

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Abstract

The present study intends to quantitatively analyze power changes in blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signals, and to investigate functional asymmetry of cortical activity in motor areas during sequential finger movements. A power spectrum method was employed, mainly in contrast with the signal magnitude analysis, to investigate functional asymmetry of motor area cortical activity. Six right-handed subjects were included in the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments. Both bi-handed and single-handed movements were analyzed. The power spectrum method demonstrated that right-handed subjects exhibited a larger power difference in BOLD signals between task and rest states in the right motor area than in the left motor area. These results showed that more nerve cells were evoked in the right motor area of right-handed subjects. In addition, the power spectrum method was confirmed to be a valid quantitative-analysis method for brain asymmetry analyses.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the reviewers whose comments greatly improved the quality of the manuscript. This work is supported in part by the Natural Science Foundation of China (90820006 and 30770590) and key research project of science and technology of MOE (107097).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, 610054, Chengdu, China

    Jiang Zhang, Huafu Chen & Wei Liao

  2. College of Applied Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, Chengdu University of Technology, 610059, Chengdu, China

    Fang Fang

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  1. Jiang Zhang
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  2. Huafu Chen
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  4. Wei Liao
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Correspondence to Huafu Chen.

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Zhang, J., Chen, H., Fang, F. et al. Quantitative Analysis of Asymmetrical Cortical Activity Based on Power Spectrum Changes. Brain Topogr 23, 257–268 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10548-010-0136-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10548-010-0136-z

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