Shared Cortical Anatomy for Motor Awareness and Motor Control
A. Berti,1*
G. Bottini,2
M. Gandola,2
L. Pia,1
N. Smania,3
A. Stracciari,4
I. Castiglioni,5
G. Vallar,6
E. Paulesu6
In everyday life, the successful monitoring of behavior requires continuous updating of the effectiveness of motor acts; one crucial step is becoming aware of the movements one is performing. We studied the anatomical distribution of lesions in right-brain–damaged hemiplegic patients, who obstinately denied their motor impairment, claiming that they could move their paralyzed limbs. Denial was associated with lesions in areas related to the programming of motor acts, particularly Brodmann's premotor areas 6 and 44, motor area 4, and the somatosensory cortex. This association suggests that monitoring systems may be implemented within the same cortical network that is responsible for the primary function that has to be monitored.
1 Psychology Department and Center for Cognitive Science, University of Turin, Via Po 14, 10123 Turin, Italy.
2 Psychology Department, University of Pavia, Piazza Botta 6, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
3 Rehabilitation Unit, G.B. Rossi University Hospital, P. le L. A. Scuro, 37134 Verona, Italy.
4 Neurology Unit, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy.
5 Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology Institute, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Fratelli Cervi 93, 20090 Segrate, Milan, Italy.
6 Department of Psychology, Building U6, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza dell'Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126 Milan, Italy.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: berti{at}psych.unito.it
