Clinical Characteristics and Brain Activation Patterns of Mirror Movements in Patients with Corona Radiata Infarct

Abstract

Objective: Mirror movements (MMs) are a phenomenon of involuntary movements that accompany physically intended movements of the opposite side of the body. In the current study, we investigated the clinical characteristics and cortical activation patterns of MMs in patients with corona radiata (CR) infarct, using functional MRI. Subjects and Methods: We recruited 31 consecutive hemiparetic stroke patients with CR infarct. Functional MRI was performed to verify brain activation patterns during grasp-release movements of the affected hand, and MM of the unaffected hand was observed simultaneously. Results: The prevalence of MMs was 54.8% (17 out of 31 patients), and the intensity of MMs ranged from mild to moderate. The severity of MM in the unaffected hand is closely related to the poor motor function of the affected upper extremity and to activations of the unaffected motor cortex and both supplementary motor areas (SMAs) during the movement of the affected hand. In addition, the activations of unaffected motor cortex and both SMAs were closely related to poor motor function of the affected upper extremity. Conclusions: The results suggest that MMs, poor motor function, and the activations of ipsilateral motor cortex and both SMAs are closely interconnected in patients with CR infarct.

Supplementary Motor Complex and Disturbed Motor Control – a Retrospective Clinical and Lesion Analysis of Patients after Anterior Cerebral Artery Stroke

“…Mirror movements are usually seen in early childhood due to mutations in the DCC and RAD51 genes ( 41 ), although they may sometimes also occur in patients with basal ganglia disorders and strokes, mainly of the corona radiata. However, they have rarely been described in association with ACA strokes ( 26 , 42 ). Functional MRI revealed that mirror movements are paralleled by bilateral activation of M1 and the SMA ( 25 ).…”

A Review of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Multimodal Neuroimaging to Characterize Post-Stroke Neuroplasticity

“…Brain network activity after a stroke is commonly studied with task-based fMRI. The challenges with using fMRI in individuals after a stroke, is that the post-stroke motor impairments can make motor performance difficult often resulting in movement synergies ( 90 ), mirror movements ( 91 ), and head motion during an fMRI scan ( 92 ). If during an fMRI study, participants produce head movement beyond a few millimeters, move in synergies or produce mirror movements, the scan may be rendered useless.…”

Mirror Movements in Acquired Neurological Disorders: A Mini-Review

“…MMs are usually observed in non-paretic limbs when patients move the paretic limb and mostly occur in the hands, although they are occasionally present in the leg or foot. The incidence of MMs in stroke patients ranges from 54.8 to 70% ( 51 ). This variation may reflect differences in the sensitivity of MM detection methods.…”

“…MMs have been reported as a complication of hemiplegic stroke, both in cortical and subcortical structures (internal capsule, basal ganglia, brain stem, etc.) (10,28,(48)(49)(50)(51). MMs are usually observed in non-paretic limbs when patients move the paretic limb and mostly occur in the hands, although they are occasionally present in the leg or foot.…”