Current research on the anatomical and physiological bases of interhemispheric interaction is reviewed. A multiple level organization exists in the central nervous system allowing parallel analysis of incoming information, and spinal, subcortical and cortical integration of the different abilities of the cerebral hemispheres. In this article we discuss four major themes: a) issues related to findings of single cell recordings and therefore pertaIning to the cellular level; b) experimental data providIng evidence of a bilateral spinal coordination allowing the balance of the activity of the two sides' and a differential distribution of supraspInal commands on the arm and on the leg; c) the cognitive processes for which interhemispheric interaction is necessary or beneficial; d) how and under which conditions recent neurophysiological techniques, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation may reveal new aspects of psychophysiological specializations of some central nervous system districts and might, at the same time, offer useful suggestions to methodological procedures of physical and psychological rehabilitation. Despite the obvious limitations due to different analytical approaches, i.e. data on information transfer derived from split-brain patients or benefits of interhemispheric processing demonstrated with functional imaging techniques in healthy subjects, the evidence of a positive feedback loop between the hemispheres that sustains bilateral readiness to incorporate sensory information appears to be reliable. On the other hand an interhemisphericor an intrahemisheric inhibition has been observed, but its neural substrate is still unclear. The latter is thought to constitute the mechanism by which a subject presents an attenuation of neural activity when the performance of a task becomes routine. If this theory is transferred to neurorehabilitation and to the attentional demands placed on a patient requested to repeat an exercise several times, it appears of tantamount importance to try to improve task performance by enhancing the activity of anterior brain regions and limit the widespread network inhibition of posterior brain regions. Thus transcranial magnetic stimulation may constitute a valuable tool for both diagnosis and for possible therapeutical implications.

Analysis of hemispheric interactions: From psychophysiology to rehabilitation / Sabatino, M.; Pino, O.; Letizia, G. A.; Di Marco, C.. - In: EUROPA MEDICOPHYSICA. - ISSN 0014-2573. - 32:1(1996), pp. 9-19.

Analysis of hemispheric interactions: From psychophysiology to rehabilitation

Pino O.
Membro del Collaboration Group
;
1996-01-01

Abstract

Current research on the anatomical and physiological bases of interhemispheric interaction is reviewed. A multiple level organization exists in the central nervous system allowing parallel analysis of incoming information, and spinal, subcortical and cortical integration of the different abilities of the cerebral hemispheres. In this article we discuss four major themes: a) issues related to findings of single cell recordings and therefore pertaIning to the cellular level; b) experimental data providIng evidence of a bilateral spinal coordination allowing the balance of the activity of the two sides' and a differential distribution of supraspInal commands on the arm and on the leg; c) the cognitive processes for which interhemispheric interaction is necessary or beneficial; d) how and under which conditions recent neurophysiological techniques, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation may reveal new aspects of psychophysiological specializations of some central nervous system districts and might, at the same time, offer useful suggestions to methodological procedures of physical and psychological rehabilitation. Despite the obvious limitations due to different analytical approaches, i.e. data on information transfer derived from split-brain patients or benefits of interhemispheric processing demonstrated with functional imaging techniques in healthy subjects, the evidence of a positive feedback loop between the hemispheres that sustains bilateral readiness to incorporate sensory information appears to be reliable. On the other hand an interhemisphericor an intrahemisheric inhibition has been observed, but its neural substrate is still unclear. The latter is thought to constitute the mechanism by which a subject presents an attenuation of neural activity when the performance of a task becomes routine. If this theory is transferred to neurorehabilitation and to the attentional demands placed on a patient requested to repeat an exercise several times, it appears of tantamount importance to try to improve task performance by enhancing the activity of anterior brain regions and limit the widespread network inhibition of posterior brain regions. Thus transcranial magnetic stimulation may constitute a valuable tool for both diagnosis and for possible therapeutical implications.
1996
Analysis of hemispheric interactions: From psychophysiology to rehabilitation / Sabatino, M.; Pino, O.; Letizia, G. A.; Di Marco, C.. - In: EUROPA MEDICOPHYSICA. - ISSN 0014-2573. - 32:1(1996), pp. 9-19.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11381/2884856
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