MRI dataset supporting "Layer-Specific Contributions to Imagined and Executed Hand Movements in Human Primary Motor Cortex"

The data file contains nifti files for each run of each participant in our study. The zipped file also contains a 'readMe' file with more information.Dataset supports publication: Persichetti, A. S., Avery, J. A., Huber, L., Merriam, E. P., & Martin, A. (2020). Layer-Specific Contributions to Imagined and Executed Hand Movements in Human Primary Motor Cortex. Current Biology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.02.046Abstract: The human ability to imagine motor actions without executing them (i.e., motor imagery) is crucial to a number of cognitive functions, including motor planning and learning, and has been shown to improve response times and accuracy of subsequent motor actions [ 1 , 2 ]. Although these behavioral findings suggest the possibility that imagined movements directly influence primary motor cortex (M1), how this might occur remains unknown [ 3 ]. Here, we use a non-blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) method for collecting fMRI data, called vascular space occupancy (VASO) [ 4 , 5 ], to measure neural activations across cortical laminae in M1 while participants either tapped their thumb and forefinger together or simply imagined doing so. We report that, whereas executed movements (i.e., finger tapping) evoked neural responses in both the superficial layers of M1 that receive cortical input and the deep layers of M1 that send output to the spinal cord to support movement, imagined movements evoked responses in superficial cortical layers only. Furthermore, we found that finger tapping preceded by both imagined and executed movements showed a reduced response in the superficial layers (repetition suppression) coupled with a heightened response in the deep layers (repetition enhancement). Taken together, our results provide evidence for a mechanism whereby imagined movements can directly affect motor performance and might explain how neural repetition effects lead to improvements in behavior (e.g., repetition priming).本数据文件包含本研究中每位被试每一轮实验的NIfTI格式神经影像文件。压缩包内同时附带一份“readMe”说明文档，内含更多详细信息。 本数据集可支撑以下已发表成果：Persichetti, A. S.、Avery, J. A.、Huber, L.、Merriam, E. P. 与 Martin, A.（2020）。《人类初级运动皮层想象与执行手部运动的皮层分层特异性贡献》，《当代生物学》。https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.02.046 摘要：人类无需实际执行动作即可想象运动行为的能力（即运动想象，motor imagery），对运动规划、运动学习等诸多认知功能至关重要，且已有研究证实其可提升后续运动行为的反应时与准确率[1, 2]。尽管此类行为学研究结果提示，想象运动可直接作用于初级运动皮层（primary motor cortex, M1），但其具体作用机制仍未明确[3]。本研究采用一种非血氧水平依赖（blood-oxygen-level-dependent, BOLD）的功能性磁共振成像（functional magnetic resonance imaging, fMRI）数据采集方法——血管空间占位成像（vascular space occupancy, VASO）[4, 5]，在被试完成拇指与食指对指动作，或仅想象执行该动作时，检测初级运动皮层内跨皮层分层的神经激活情况。研究结果表明，执行动作（即手指对指）可在接收皮层输入的M1表层，以及向脊髓发送输出以支持运动的M1深层均诱发出神经响应；而想象运动则仅在M1表层诱发出响应。此外，本研究发现，当先进行想象运动再执行动作，或重复执行动作时，M1表层的神经响应均出现减弱（重复抑制效应），而M1深层的响应则出现增强（重复增强效应）。综合来看，本研究结果为想象运动可直接影响运动表现的机制提供了实验证据，同时也可解释神经重复效应如何推动行为层面的改善（例如重复启动效应）。