Objectives: To investigate motor cortex function in upper and lower limb amputees and dysmelic patients using fMRI.
Material and methods: Five amputees and two dysmelic patients were examined. Motor and imagery tasks were defined according to each patient limb deficiency. Cortical activation patterns were analysed for each patient and compared between groups, integrating patients clinical data.
Results: There is a consistent pattern of cortical reorganization in all amputees: predominance of activation in the ipsilateral motor cortex and extension to premotor and sensory areas of the contralateral cortex. On the contrary, cortical maps of dysmelic patients were similar to those of healthy volunteers, predominantly with activation of contralateral primary motor cortex areas.
Conclusions: fMRI discloses specific patterns of cortical reorganization on amputees and dysmelic patients, suggesting influence by prosthesis adaptation or stump use with dexterity. These findings could be further applied in influencing neurorehabilitation and development of prosthetic devices.