A functional magnetic resonance imaging study of paced finger tapping in children

Rivkin, Michael J; Vajapeyam, Sridhar; Hutton, Chloe; Weiler, Michael L; Hall, E.Kevin; Wolraich, David A; Yoo, Seung Schik; Mulkern, Robert V; Forbes, Peter W; Wolff, Peter H; Waber, Deborah P

doi:10.1016/S0887-8994(02)00492-7

« Previous Next »Pediatric Neurology
Volume 28, Issue 2 , Pages 89-95, February 2003

A functional magnetic resonance imaging study of paced finger tapping in children

Michael J Rivkin, MD
- Department of Neurology, Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, USA
- Department of Radiology, Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, USA
- Communications should be addressed to: Dr. Rivkin; Departments of Neurology and Radiology; Pavillion 154; Children’s Hospital; 300 Longwood Avenue; Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Sridhar Vajapeyam, PhD
- Department of Radiology, Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, USA
Chloe Hutton, PhD
- From the Wellcome Department of Cognitive Neurology, University College, London, England, UK
Michael L Weiler, PhD
- Department of Psychiatry, Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, USA.
E.Kevin Hall, BS
- Department of Neurology, Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, USA
David A Wolraich, BS
- Department of Neurology, Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, USA
Seung Schik Yoo, PhD
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, USA
Robert V Mulkern, PhD
- Department of Radiology, Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, USA
Peter W Forbes, MA
- Department of Radiology, Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, USA
Peter H Wolff, MD
- Department of Psychiatry, Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, USA.
Deborah P Waber, PhD**
- Department of Psychiatry, Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, USA.

Received 21 February 2002; accepted 18 July 2002.

Abstract

Fourteen typically developing children from 7.9–11.3 years in age were studied with functional magnetic resonance imaging to identify the cerebral loci involved in performance of paced finger tapping by children. Each child performed two bimanual alternating paced finger-tapping tasks. In the first, paced finger tapping was conducted to external 3-Hz pacing provided by a metronome. In the second, the metronome was turned off and finger tapping continued while each child tried to maintain the 3-Hz rhythm by self pacing. Individual and group data were analyzed with statistical parametric mapping techniques that resulted in activation maps for the two tasks. Metronome tapping produced activation of the posterior regions of both superior temporal gyri, both primary sensorimotor cortices, anterodorsomedial cerebellum and supplementary motor area. Self-tapping resulted in recruitment of pre-supplementary motor area and cerebellum in addition to bilateral supplementary motor area and primary sensorimotor cortical activation. Bimanual alternating paced finger tapping performed by children activates a neural network involving primary motor cortex, supplementary motor area, and cerebellum. Posterior superior temporal gyrus may be important for encoding auditory information, and presupplementary motor area and midline cerebellum play an important role in self-paced finger tapping.