Functional brain areas associated with chopstick manipulation : a PET study

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Using positron emission tomography (PET) and healthy human subjects (N = 9), we investigated the brain areas involved in object manipulation with the use of a tool by experts. The experimental task required the subjects to use a pair of chopsticks for picking up a small pin from a table, transporting, and then releasing it into a basket. Data of the same task performed using only the fingers were also obtained. Chopstick prehension was associated with significantly higher activities in the caudal and rostra] portions of the ventral premotor (PMv) area, superior parietal area, intraparietal lobe, middle temporal gyrus (MTG), primary sensory area, occipital area, and cerebellum (lateral and anterior hemispheres including the dentate nucleus) as compared to finger prehension. These cortical and subcortical areas can thus form a well-learned tool-use associated neural network in humans. Activation of the caudal PMv and superior parietal cortex in the left hemisphere supported the hypothesis that the parieto-frontal circuit developed for manipulation control using a hand-held tool. Activation of the left MTG further supported the notion that a tool-use required representing knowledge of the tool and associated actions. The right superior parietal cortex was also activated during chopstick use, indicating that the parietal contribution to this circuit could be bilateral. Activation of the cerebellar hemisphere appeared to support the idea of stored internal models for a tool, while the activation of the anterior cerebellum suggested increased movement error correction during the use of chopsticks.