Investigation of functional magnetic resonance imaging of brain during hand movement induced by neuromuscular electrical stimulation of healthy young subjects / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To observe fMRI images of brain during hand movement induced by NMES of healthy young subjects and to explore the possible mechanism of NMES to central nervous system. Methods Six right-handed healthy volunteers including 5 males and 1 female, aged 25.17 ± 3.43 years underwent fMRI scanning while NMES was applied to right wrist extensors to elicit a maximal wrist extension. The parameters of stimulation electric current were frequency 30 Hz, pulse width 0.2 ms, biphase square wave, on timeoff time =2 s2 s, ramp 1 and the intensity was maximal tolerance by subjects. Functional images were processed using SPM2 software package to obtain the localized information in activated cortex region. Results All of the 6 subjects showed fMRI responses upon NMES. Most of wrist extensor stimulated by NMES was associated with activation of the primary motor cortex ( MI ), pre-motor cortex (PMC), supplementary motor cortex (SMC),primary somatosensory cortex (SI). The functional responses arise not only in contralateral cortex, but also in ipsilateral cortex to the stimulated hand movement. Conclusion Wrist exten- tion elicited by NMES can evoke fMRI responses in motor cortex and somatosensory cortex in healthy subjects.