A Common Network in the Left Cerebral Hemisphere Represents Planning of Tool Use Pantomimes and Familiar Intransitive Gestures at the Hand-Independent Level

摘要: Evidence from neuropsychology and neuroimaging implicates parietal frontal areas of the left cerebral hemisphere in representation skills involving use tools other artifacts. On basis neuropsychological data, it has been claimed that 1) independent mechanisms within may support these (transitive actions) versus meaningful gestures do not involve manipulating objects (intransitive actions), 2) both hemispheres participate intransitive gestures. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to test hypotheses 12 healthy adults while they planned executed tool pantomimes or with their dominant right (Exp. nondominant hands. Even when linguistic processing demands were controlled, planning either type action associated asymmetrical increases same regions (the intraparietal sulcus, supramarginal gyrus, caudal superior lobule) dorsal premotor cortices. Effects greater for pantomimes, but only hand involved. Neither group nor individual analyses revealed evidence bilateral activity during gesture planning. In summary, at hand-independent level, transitive actions are represented a common, left-lateralized praxis network.