Task Based Connectivity of the Prefrontal Cortex during Motor Imagery; A MACM Analysis

Details

Supervisors

Hardwick, Robert M.

Faculty

Faculté des sciences de la motricité

Degree label

Master [60] en kinésithérapie et réadaptation

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the coactivation networks of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (LDLPFC) and cerebellum during motor imagery. Using meta-analytic connectivity modeling (MACM) and activation likelihood estimation (ALE), the goal was to identify interconnected brain regions and potential pathways between the LDLPFC, cerebellum and other brain areas in a context of motor imagery. Methods: Meta-analyses were conducted using the BrainMap database, comprising around 250 experiments. Separate analyses focused on the LDLPFC and cerebellum, identifying clusters based on ALE scores. Conjunction analyses sought consistent activations across these analyses. Results: LDLPFC analysis revealed coactivation in areas linked to cognitive processes such as the middle frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, and inferior parietal lobule. Cerebellar analysis identified clusters in the cerebellar tonsil and thalamus, indicating involvement in motor imagery. The thalamus emerged as a crucial hub connecting LDLPFC and cerebellum, consistently highlighted in conjunction analyses. Conclusion: This study unveiled intricate connectivity patterns in the LDLPFC and cerebellum during motor imagery. Results also support a motor-cognitive model, suggesting that motor imagery is a rather cognitive process. Cerebellar data suggests its involvement in motor imagery. The thalamus stands out as a pivotal mediator between the LDLPFC and cerebellum during motor imagery.