Programming effectors and coordination in bimanual in-phase mirror finger movements

We investigated cerebral activation during programming of in-phase symmetric finger movements in a precued response task. Partial precues provided advance information about either mirror effectors or in-phase coordination of bimanual movements, while full precue specified both response parameters and neutral precue no movement information. Effects of precueing were assessed on reaction time (RT), contingent negative variation (CNV), and alpha and beta event-related desynchronization (ERD). Information on coordination mode induced less efficient preparation than information on effectors, as revealed by longer RT, but paradoxically the CNV was found of larger amplitude for in-phase than for mirror precue. Full and in-phase precues were associated to largest cerebral activation, as reflected by CNV amplitude as well as beta ERD. It is suggested that with in-phase precueing, abstract programming of coordination and concrete preparation of possible effectors overlap, engaging more cerebral resources than when symmetric effectors are pre-specified. Alpha ERD underwent regional modulations dependent on the type of preparation, pointing out the role of the right parietal region in visuomotor transformation with full movement programming, and the preferential implication of the dominant hemisphere and medial brain regions in synchronization of both hand movements. Beta ERD topographical distribution suggested an increased implication of bilateral and medial motor regions in anticipation to the response signal with incomplete movement preparation.