TY - JOUR
T1 - Cortical EEG alpha rhythms reflect task-specific somatosensory and motor interactions in humans
AU - Babiloni, Claudio
AU - Del Percio, Claudio
AU - Arendt-Nielsen, Lars
AU - Soricelli, Andrea
AU - Romani, Gian Luca
AU - Rossini, Paolo Maria
AU - Capotosto, Paolo
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Anticipating sensorimotor events allows adaptive reactions to environment with crucial implications for self-protection and survival. Here we review several studies of our group that aimed to test the hypothesis that the cortical processes preparing the elaboration of sensorimotor interaction is reflected by the reduction of anticipatory electroencephalographic alpha power (about 8-12Hz; event-related desynchronization, ERD), as an index that regulate task-specific sensorimotor processes, accounted by high-alpha sub-band (10-12Hz), rather than a general tonic alertness, accounted by low-alpha sub-band (8-10Hz). In this line, we propose a model for human cortical processes anticipating warned sensorimotor interactions. Overall, we reported a stronger high-alpha ERD before painful than non-painful somatosensory stimuli that is also predictive of the subjective evaluation of pain intensity. Furthermore, we showed that anticipatory high-alpha ERD increased before sensorimotor interactions between non-painful or painful stimuli and motor demands involving opposite hands. In contrast, sensorimotor interactions between painful somatosensory and sensorimotor demands involving the same hand decreased anticipatory high-alpha ERD, due to a sort of sensorimotor "gating" effect. In conclusion, we suggest that anticipatory cortical high-alpha rhythms reflect the central interference and/or integration of ascending (sensory) and descending (motor) signals relative to one or two hands before non-painful and painful sensorimotor interactions.
AB - Anticipating sensorimotor events allows adaptive reactions to environment with crucial implications for self-protection and survival. Here we review several studies of our group that aimed to test the hypothesis that the cortical processes preparing the elaboration of sensorimotor interaction is reflected by the reduction of anticipatory electroencephalographic alpha power (about 8-12Hz; event-related desynchronization, ERD), as an index that regulate task-specific sensorimotor processes, accounted by high-alpha sub-band (10-12Hz), rather than a general tonic alertness, accounted by low-alpha sub-band (8-10Hz). In this line, we propose a model for human cortical processes anticipating warned sensorimotor interactions. Overall, we reported a stronger high-alpha ERD before painful than non-painful somatosensory stimuli that is also predictive of the subjective evaluation of pain intensity. Furthermore, we showed that anticipatory high-alpha ERD increased before sensorimotor interactions between non-painful or painful stimuli and motor demands involving opposite hands. In contrast, sensorimotor interactions between painful somatosensory and sensorimotor demands involving the same hand decreased anticipatory high-alpha ERD, due to a sort of sensorimotor "gating" effect. In conclusion, we suggest that anticipatory cortical high-alpha rhythms reflect the central interference and/or integration of ascending (sensory) and descending (motor) signals relative to one or two hands before non-painful and painful sensorimotor interactions.
KW - Alpha rhythms
KW - Event-related desynchronization/synchronization (ERD/ERS)
KW - Expectancy
KW - High-resolution electroencephalography (EEG)
KW - Pain
KW - Sensorimotor interactions
KW - Alpha rhythms
KW - Event-related desynchronization/synchronization (ERD/ERS)
KW - Expectancy
KW - High-resolution electroencephalography (EEG)
KW - Pain
KW - Sensorimotor interactions
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10807/63917
U2 - 10.1016/j.clinph.2014.04.021
DO - 10.1016/j.clinph.2014.04.021
M3 - Article
SN - 1388-2457
VL - 125
SP - 1936
EP - 1945
JO - Clinical Neurophysiology
JF - Clinical Neurophysiology
ER -