Dissociating the causal role of left and right dorsal premotor cortices in planning and executing bimanual movements – A neuro-navigated rTMS study
Stefanie Verstraelen, Kim van Dun, Siel Depestele, Sybren Van Hoornweder, Asif Jamil, Ensiyeh Ghasemian-Shirvan, Michael A. Nitsche, Shanti Van Malderen, Stephan P. Swinnen, Koen Cuypers, Raf Meesen
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) is a key region in bimanual coordination. However, causal evidence linking PMd functionality during motor planning and execution to movement quality is lacking. OBJECTIVE: ) are causally involved in planning and executing bimanual movements, using short-train repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Additionally, we explored to what extent the observed rTMS-induced modulation of performance could be explained by rTMS-induced modulation of PMd-M1 interhemispheric interactions (IHI). METHODS: was targeted with rTMS (10 Hz) in a pseudo-randomized design. PMd functionality was transiently modulated during the planning or execution of a complex bimanual task, whereby the participant was asked to track a moving dot by controlling two dials. The effect of rTMS on several performance measures was investigated. Concurrently, rTMS-induced modulation of PMd-M1 IHI was measured using a dual-coil paradigm, and associated with the rTMS-induced performance modulation. RESULTS: during both planning and execution induced deterioration of movement stability (p = 0.04). rTMS-induced modulation of PMd-M1 IHI during planning did not predict rTMS-induced performance modulation. CONCLUSION: fulfills a role in continuous adjustment processes of movement.