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Cerebral potentials during smooth goal-directed hand movements in right-handed and left-handed subjects

  • Excitable Tissues and Central Nervous Physiology
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Abstract

During smooth goal-directed hand movements a negative potential shift can be recorded from the human scalp. This goal-directed movement potential (GDMP) is preponderant over central areas with a maximum at the vertex and, over the motor cortex, contralaterally larger than ipsilterally to the moving hand. In 11 right-handed and 6 left-handed subjects, the morphology and distribution of these potential shifts were studied in relation to task differences, moving hand and handedness. The results show a functional differentiation of two components of the GDMP: (1), a lateralized, slow negative wave, restricted to the precentral area and selectively varying with the hand used, and (2), a widespread, bilateral symmetrical component, selectively influenced by taskspecific and individual factors. Two effects reflect an influence of the subjects's handedness on the GDMP: (a) averaged for both hand conditions, there are larger amplitudes over the hemisphere contralateral to the dominant hand, and (b) averaged for both hemispheres, larger amplitudes result from using the nondominant hand.

Zusammenfassung

Während langsamer, zielgerichteter Handbewegungen kann ein negatives Hirnpotential vom menschlichen Schädel abgeleitet werden. Dieses «Zielbewegungspotential» (goal-directed movement potential) ist über zentralen Arealen am stärksten ausgeprägt, zeigt ein Maximum am Vertex und ist über dem motorischen Cortex kontralateral zur bewegungsausführenden Hand größer als ípsilateral. An 11 Rechtshändern und 6 Linkshändern wurden Form und Verteilung dieser Potentiale in Abhängigkeit von der Bewegungsaufgabe, der benutzten Hand und der Händigkeit untersucht. Die Ergebnisse zeigen eine funktionelle Differenzierung von zwei Komponenten des Zielbewegungspotentials: 1. Eine lateralisierte langsame negative Welle, die auf das präzentrale Areal beschränkt ist und selektiv mit der benutzten Hand variiert. 2 Eine breitverteilte bilateral symmetrische Komponente, die selektiv durch aufgabenspezifische und individuelle Faktoren beeinflußt wird. Zwei Effekte spiegeln den Einfluß der Händigkeit des Probanden auf das Zielbewegungspotential wieder: a) gemittelt über beide Handbedingungen sind die Amplituden größer über der Hemisphäre kontralateral zur dominanten Hand. b) Im Mittel über beide Hemisphären sind die Potentiale größer bei Benutzung der nichtdominanten Hand.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Hirnforschung der Universität, D-4000, Düsseldorf

    Gerhard Grünewald, Erika Grünewald-Zuberbier, Volker Hömberg & Johannes Netz

  2. Neurologische Universitätsklinik mit Abteilung für Neurophysiologie, D-7800, Freiburg i. Br., Germany

    Gerhard Grünewald, Erika Grünewald-Zuberbier, Volker Hömberg & Johannes Netz

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  1. Gerhard Grünewald
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  2. Erika Grünewald-Zuberbier
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  3. Volker Hömberg
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  4. Johannes Netz
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Grünewald, G., Grünewald-Zuberbier, E., Hömberg, V. et al. Cerebral potentials during smooth goal-directed hand movements in right-handed and left-handed subjects. Pflugers Arch. 381, 39–46 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00582330

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