Right brain damaged patients sometimes deny that their left arm is paralysed or even claim to have just moved it. This condition is known as anosognosia for hemiplegia (AHP). Here, we used fMRI to study patients with and without AHP during the execution of a motor task. We found that the delusional belief of having moved was preceded by brain activation of the cortical regions that are implicated in motor control in the left intact hemisphere and in the spared motor regions of the right hemisphere; patients without anosognosia did not present with the same degree of activation. We conclude that the false belief of movement is associated with a combination of strategically placed brain lesions and the preceding residual neural activity of the fronto-parietal motor network. These findings provide evidence that the activity of motor cortices contributes to our beliefs about the state of our motor system.

Gandola, M., Bottini, G., Zapparoli, L., Invernizzi, P., Verardi, M., Sterzi, R., et al. (2014). The physiology of motor delusions in anosognosia for hemiplegia: Implications for current models of motor awareness. CONSCIOUSNESS AND COGNITION, 24, 98-112 [10.1016/j.concog.2014.01.001].

The physiology of motor delusions in anosognosia for hemiplegia: Implications for current models of motor awareness

GANDOLA, MARTINA;ZAPPAROLI, LAURA;INVERNIZZI, PAOLA;PAULESU, ERALDO
2014

Abstract

Right brain damaged patients sometimes deny that their left arm is paralysed or even claim to have just moved it. This condition is known as anosognosia for hemiplegia (AHP). Here, we used fMRI to study patients with and without AHP during the execution of a motor task. We found that the delusional belief of having moved was preceded by brain activation of the cortical regions that are implicated in motor control in the left intact hemisphere and in the spared motor regions of the right hemisphere; patients without anosognosia did not present with the same degree of activation. We conclude that the false belief of movement is associated with a combination of strategically placed brain lesions and the preceding residual neural activity of the fronto-parietal motor network. These findings provide evidence that the activity of motor cortices contributes to our beliefs about the state of our motor system.
Articolo in rivista - Articolo scientifico
Motor intention; Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Motor awareness; Anosognosia for hemiplegia
English
2014
24
98
112
none
Gandola, M., Bottini, G., Zapparoli, L., Invernizzi, P., Verardi, M., Sterzi, R., et al. (2014). The physiology of motor delusions in anosognosia for hemiplegia: Implications for current models of motor awareness. CONSCIOUSNESS AND COGNITION, 24, 98-112 [10.1016/j.concog.2014.01.001].
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/50189
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