I couldn't tell if actual movements were measured or just some nebulous neuronal activation. You are probably better off reading all these earlier posts on action observation.
Plasticity and Response to Action Observation: A Longitudinal fMRI Study of Potential Mirror Neurons in Patients With Subacute Stroke
Abstract
Background.
Action observation has been suggested as a possible gateway to retraining arm motor function post stroke. However, it is unclear if the neuronal response to action observation is affected by stroke and if it changes during the course of recovery.
Objective.
To examine longitudinal changes in neuronal activity in a group of patients with subacute stroke when observing and executing a bimanual movement task.
Methods.
Eighteen patients were examined twice using 3-T functional magnetic resonance imaging; 1 to 2 weeks and 3 months post stroke symptom onset. Eighteen control participants were examined once. Image time series were analyzed (SPM8) and correlated with clinical motor function scores.
Results.
During action observation and execution, an overlap of neuronal activation was observed in the superior and inferior parietal lobe, precentral gyrus, insula, and inferior temporal gyrus in both control participants and patients (P < .05; false discovery rate corrected). The neuronal response in the observation task increased from 1 to 2 weeks to 3 months after stroke. Most activated clusters were observed in the inferior temporal gyrus, the thalamus and movement-related areas, such as the premotor, supplementary and motor cortex (BA4, BA6). Increased activation of cerebellum and premotor area correlated with improved arm motor function. Most patients had regained full movement ability.
Conclusions.
Plastic changes in neurons responding to action observation and action execution occurred in accordance with clinical recovery.(But did you measure clinical recovery? That is the only useful thing for survivors.) The involvement of motor areas when observing actions early and later after stroke may constitute a possible access to the motor system.
Action observation has been suggested as a possible gateway to retraining arm motor function post stroke. However, it is unclear if the neuronal response to action observation is affected by stroke and if it changes during the course of recovery.
Objective.
To examine longitudinal changes in neuronal activity in a group of patients with subacute stroke when observing and executing a bimanual movement task.
Methods.
Eighteen patients were examined twice using 3-T functional magnetic resonance imaging; 1 to 2 weeks and 3 months post stroke symptom onset. Eighteen control participants were examined once. Image time series were analyzed (SPM8) and correlated with clinical motor function scores.
Results.
During action observation and execution, an overlap of neuronal activation was observed in the superior and inferior parietal lobe, precentral gyrus, insula, and inferior temporal gyrus in both control participants and patients (P < .05; false discovery rate corrected). The neuronal response in the observation task increased from 1 to 2 weeks to 3 months after stroke. Most activated clusters were observed in the inferior temporal gyrus, the thalamus and movement-related areas, such as the premotor, supplementary and motor cortex (BA4, BA6). Increased activation of cerebellum and premotor area correlated with improved arm motor function. Most patients had regained full movement ability.
Conclusions.
Plastic changes in neurons responding to action observation and action execution occurred in accordance with clinical recovery.(But did you measure clinical recovery? That is the only useful thing for survivors.) The involvement of motor areas when observing actions early and later after stroke may constitute a possible access to the motor system.
Introduction
The existence of mirror neurons in humans, however, remains controversial; for example, the review by Turella et al.7 One point of discussion is why neurons with mirror properties are seemingly more widespread in the human brain in contrast to the spatially well-defined regions originally reported in macaques.8 It has been pointed out that large differences in choice of methodology such as the lack of inclusion of both an action observation and action execution task, combined with large differences in task selection can possibly account for many of these discrepancies.9 Neurons responding to the observation of hand actions have been reported in the premotor and supplementary motor cortex, the inferior frontal gyrus, the inferior parietal cortex and in the posterior middle temporal gyrus in healthy adults.10
There is a considerable interest in exploiting mirror neurons to improve motor function after stroke. Initial studies applying the observation of motor activities as a treatment approach have shown promising results, indicating that action observation could be a possible avenue to retraining motor function after stroke.3-5 However, little is known about reorganization processes in neurons with mirror activity after stroke. With focus on rehabilitation, it is important to investigate if similar neuronal responses exist in patients with lesions affecting the motor network. In the current study, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) based on blood oxygenation level–dependent contrast was used to investigate the neuronal activation when observing and executing a bimanual motor task in a group of patients with subacute stroke.
The main objective of this study was to identify for the first time a possible action observation/action execution matching system in patients with stroke during the course of recovery. An overlap of neurons involved in execution and observation in both patients and healthy control participants was expected, and that overlapping clusters of neurons would include brain regions that are typically associated with the mirror neuron system, such as premotor cortex, inferior frontal gyrus and inferior parietal cortex.
More at link.
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