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This project investigates how the brain implements motor commands for grasping movements. The secure grasp of an object requires appropriate hand shaping and precise force scaling, two processes controlled by a specific cortical ‘grasping circuit’ constituted of several anatomically
distinct but interconnected cortical areas. We have developed a special paired-pulse
paradigm for use with non-invasive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in human volunteers. We are using this paradigm to investigate cortico-cortical interactions between one area of this grasping circuit and its inputs to M1. This approach is being combined with several motor tasks which allow us to study cortico-cortical interactions
during different contexts of hand shape or force generation. We are particularly interested to determine which cortical areas are involved and when activity in these pathways is able
to influence hand shape prior to grasp.
In collaboration with the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging (WTCN), we also use concurrent TMS-fMRI to study causal cortical activation patterns in motor areas during different grasp contexts, using an MRI-compatible graspable device.