Triggers of motor activity measurable by near-infrared functional spectroscopy (fNIRS): a review

Scientific studies have differed on the interpretation of activity in the primary motor cortex of the brain. Various studies have found that the primary motor cortex is activated only during physical motor tasks. Whereas other studies have appeared that a similar measurable activity can be observed and recorded when arousing or stimulating the motor cortex when performing a mental representation of movement. Consequently, our purpose of this review was to compare the triggers of motor cortex activation during the physical execution and mental representation of the movement by recording the brain signals resulting from the stimulation by using the technique of near-infrared functional spectroscopy based on the neural interface (brain-computer interface). This research reveals differences and comparisons based on various approaches to analyze and systematically realize target triggers of motor cortex activation during training at neural interface (fNIRS). Based on the above, this review concludes by emphasising the fact that triggers of cortical activation in general and under different names cause activity that can be recorded by measuring the various changes that occur in hamoglobin concentration, in other words, that both physical task performance and similar mental representations of movement cause perceptible activity in the motor cortex. This provides the rationale for prosthetic, rehabilitation and other applications. Furthermore, this encourages future research to identify positive triggers for cortical activation to study psychological states of cognitive function and certain pathological conditions, as well as neurophysiological studies.

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