The functional neuroanatomy of coordinated orofacial movements: sparse sampling fMRI of whistling

Neuroimage. 2005 Nov 15;28(3):588-97. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2005.06.021. Epub 2005 Aug 3.

Abstract

Whistling serves as a model for a skilful coordinated orofacial movement with sensorimotor integration of auditory and proprioceptive input. The neural substrate of whistling was investigated by sparse sampling functional MRI (fMRI) where the motor task occurred during a silent interval between successive image acquisitions to minimize task-related imaging artefacts. Whistling recruited a symmetrically represented neural network including primary motor and ventral premotor cortex (PMv), SMA, cingulate gyrus, basal ganglia, primary and secondary somatosensory cortex, amygdala, thalamus and cerebellum. A temporal analysis revealed higher activity of left sensory cortex, right PMv and cerebellum during late execution compared to initiation of whistling. Task-related signal changes in right PMv and right paravermal cerebellum were found to correlate with the amplitude of the whistle sound in a separate correlation analysis. The findings emphasize the role of ventral premotor cortex, cerebellum and somatosensory areas as integrators of afferent input within a distributed orofacial sensorimotor network.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Brain / physiology*
  • Cerebellum / physiology
  • Cerebrovascular Circulation / physiology
  • Data Interpretation, Statistical
  • Face / physiology*
  • Female
  • Functional Laterality / physiology
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Lip / physiology
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / statistics & numerical data
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Motor Cortex / physiology
  • Mouth / physiology*
  • Movement / physiology*
  • Neural Pathways / physiology
  • Oxygen / blood
  • Reaction Time / physiology
  • Respiration
  • Somatosensory Cortex / physiology

Substances

  • Oxygen