R2 Questions

Question 1

What is functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)?

Answer 1

a type of technique that non-invasively evaluates brain function by scanning any fluctuations throughout oxygenation levels, blood flow, and neural activity

Question 2

During finger tapping, what does an fMRI show.

Answer 2

the hand regions of the left sensory and motor cortices would pop up or glow, signaling activity on the fMRI scanner

Question 3

What is phantom limb phenomenon, and what does fMRI show when people with an amputated limb mentally “try to move” the amputated limb?

Answer 3

The phantom limp phenomenon occurs when an amputee experiences a sensation that their lost or amputated appendage is still present on the body. During this, fMRI would be able to show a rise in activity throughout the former appendage areas, exhibiting that the brain of an amputee would still have some feeling of the amputated limb.

Question 4

What is the major research question asked by this author?

Answer 4

Does the human brain retain the capacity within amputated hand areas to control the new transplanted hand?

Question 5

What is the process through which peripheral nerves grow back & rejoin the sensory network?

Answer 5

reinnervation

Question 6

Give an example of how David compensated for re-innervation error in his implanted.

Answer 6

David had experienced a reinnervation error once he was able to localize sensations on the base of his thumb while the rest of his hand lacked touch whatsoever. However, David’s brain was able to soon compensate with this error by learning how to correctly interpret the previous input on his thumb.

Question 7

Briefly describe the brain rewiring 3 scenarios possible after hand transplant surgery.

Answer 7

1. amputees could experience phantom limp phenomenon.
2. brain signals could be interrupted to another location. For example, some amputees may experience having an increase in activity within the hand region of the brain when moving their lips.
3. while amputees are performing different tasks, activity appropriately increases in the non-amputated area.

Question 8

Which brain region is involved in properly shaping the hand to conform to the perception of objects’ shapes orientations, and sizes?

Answer 8

the anterior intraparietal cortex (aIPC)