Interpreting Intervention Induced Neuroplasticity with fMRI: The Case for Multimodal Imaging Strategies

Figure 3

Task-based fMRI activation changes, in the presence of bilateral activation, require additional information for useful interpretation. Activation changes are often interpreted with the assumption that sensorimotor processing occurs primarily contralaterally, with interhemispheric relaying of information for supplementary processing (b). In cerebral palsy, however, sensory processing is often contralaterally organised, while motor signals emanate from the ipsilateral hemisphere (a). In addition, in cerebral palsy, stroke, and acquired brain injuries, imbalances in interhemispheric inhibition ((c); dashed lines) may be the primary factor influencing t-fMRI activation. Such organisations, and thus meaning of t-fMRI activation changes, can be elucidated via supplementary methods such as TMS and MEG recordings.

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