Between subjects real time FMRI interaction: a platform to study interpersonal feedback loop during motor learning

• Processo: 11/50168-0
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular
• Data de Início da vigência: 01 de maio de 2011
• Data de Término da vigência: 30 de abril de 2012
• Área do conhecimento: Ciências da Saúde - Medicina - Radiologia Médica
• Acordo de Cooperação: University of Surrey
• Pesquisador responsável: Edson Amaro Junior
• Beneficiário: Edson Amaro Junior
• Pesquisador Responsável no exterior: Adam McNamara
• Instituição Parceira no exterior: University of Surrey, Inglaterra
• Instituição Sede: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brasil
• Assunto(s): Ressonância magnética Imagem por ressonância magnética funcional
• Palavra(s)-Chave do Pesquisador: Aprendizado Motor | Fmri | Hyperscanning | Ressonancia Magnetica

Resumo

Patients with epilepsy treated with anticonvulsants drugs present motor slowing and cognitive and motor coordination deficits. These patients have motor learning difficulties the etiology of which could be either the epilepsy itself or the anticonvulsant drugs. Imitation is the fundamental cognitive ability that enables observational learning and the acquisition of a multitude of skills without an exhaustive trial and error approach. Patients with epilepsy may have a diminished learning capacity as result of this motor system impairment. This issue has not yet been specifically investigated and combined with our increasing knowledge in regard to epilepsy we may be able to illuminate the natural workings of this fundamental cognitive skill. When attempting to execute a new motor pattern by imitation, the observed action is coded in elementary motor acts that activate the corresponding motor representation. This subthreshold activation is termed 'motor resonance' and is said to 'embody' or 'mirror' the observed action within the motor system of the observer. Once activated, these motor representations are recombined, accordingly with the observed model, by the prefrontal cortex. Patients with epilepsy, specifically those with Rolandic epilepsy, may have this process altered. In this project we will investigate motor learning via realtime subject interaction using hyperscanning fMRI technique... (AU)