Activation of the sensorimotor cortex using a device for mechanical stimulation of the plantar support zones

Numerous studies on the mechanisms of the motor control carried out in the interests of space medicine resulted in a concept on the leading role of the support afferent input in the regulation of the postural tonic system in mammals. The implementation of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has permitted in vivo brain mapping during stimulation of the support afferent input. The goal of this study was to identify activated regions in the brain during mechanical stimulation of the plantar support zones in different modes using a special Korvit simulator. Twelve healthy volunteers (six women and six men) aged from 22 to 42 years were studied using fMRI, each of them was scanned once. The fMRI protocol for each subject consisted of two different blocked paradigms: (1) with the soles of a subject stimulated in an imitated standing mode and (2) with the soles stimulated in an imitation slow-walking mode. The patterns of activation in each mode were analyzed using the SPM5 statistical software package for each subject and for the group as a whole. All the paradigms showed significant activation (p _correct < 0. 05 at the cluster level) in the primary somatosensory, premotor, dorsolateral and prefrontal cortices, as well as in the insula. The involvement of the prefrontal cortex during simulation of standing and a broad involvement of the primary and secondary sensorimotor cortices during simulation of slow walking were found.