Reorganisation of the sensorimotor cortex after early focal brain lesion: a functional MRI study in monozygotic twins

Sensorimotor cortical reorganization after early brain lesions was studied by means of fMRI in two pairs of monozygotic twins, in each of which one me mber had a focal brain injury. This offered a unique opportunity to reduce the wide intersubject variability of the controls often found in similar st udies. Activation images were acquired during a motor task (sequential oppo sition finger movements) and a sensory task (passive brushing of palm and f ingers). During the tasks with the recovered hand, constant findings in the lesioned subjects were the activation of the undamaged areas adjacent to l esion site and the activation of the ipsilateral sensorimotor cortex. Bilat eral activation of the primary sensorimotor cortex was never observed in th e healthy co-twin controls. NeuroReport 12:1335-1340. (C) 2001 Lippincott W illiams & Wilkins.