Brain-Behavior Relationships

Overview of Topics

Kinesthetic Basis of Movement
Post-Central Gyrus Test Items
References

Post Central Gyrus

This is the primary projection area for somatosensory and kinesth-etic/proprioceptive inputs. It is topographically organized, and important body areas for tactile analysis (hands, face, mouth, tongue) receive disproportionate representation. The sensory feedback loops that project into this region are intimately related to precise motor control as well. Thus, both sensory and motor impairment are possible sequelae of injury to the post central gyrus.

1. Eyes closed - patient is to position hand to match position of other (1, 2, 4, 6).
2. Passive finger detection (8).
3. Two point threshold (10).
4. Von Frey Hair threshold (8, 13).
5. Vibration sense (7).
6. With lesion most severe changes are distal, coarse sensations return first (10).
7. Height discrimination (14).
8. Pinpoint vs. head (7, 15).
9. Touch area on skin, have patient point to area on contralateral side (5).
10. Fasten a button (7).
11. Tie a shoelace (4, 7).
12. Localized lesion by deficit interactions (1, 4, 6, 8, 10).

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B. Post Central Gyrus Test Items:

1. Eyes closed - match one hand to position set by examiner. Used in "Luria Battery", but see (7).
2. Passive finger detection, two point threshold, Von Frey Hairs Finger Agnosia - used in Halstead Reitan Battery In-Between test, two point finger test, matchbox test (13), finger-tip number writing, Rey's skinwriting (13).
3. Vibration sense - tuning fork.
4. Weight discrimination (14).
5. Pinpoint vs. head - use a pin. Also see Talland, 1965 - cited in (13). Tactile Completion Test.
6. Touch area and have patient point to contralateral area (7).
7. Fine motor tasks - see (7) also Grooved pegboard, motor steadiness, finger or stylus mazes.
8. Not on outline, but also look for unusual speech. Consonant substitutions (especially of similar sounds), without broken or jerky speech typical of Broca's Aphasia. May see writing errors due to role of articulatory movements in analysis of words (7).

Most tasks for assessing the integrity of this brain area are more neurological than psychometric in nature.

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References

1. Bernstein, H. Problems of the relationship between coordination and localization. Archives of Biological Science. 1935, 38(7).
2. Bernstein, N. The organization of movements. Moscow: Medgiz, 1947.
3. Corkin, S., Milner, B., and Rasmussen, T, Somatosensory thresholds: Contrasting effects of postcentral gyrus and posterior parietal lobe excisions. Archives of Neurology, 1970, 23. 41-58.
4. Foerster, 0. Symptomalogie der merkrankungen des gehirus: Motorische felder und behnen: Sensoriche felder und bahnen. Bumke-Foerster Handbook of, Neurology, 1936, 6.
5. Head, H. Studies in neurology. London: Hodder and Stroughton, 1920.
6. Luria, A. Neuropsychological analysis of focal brain lesions. In B. Wolman (Ed.), Handbook of Clinical Psychology. New York: McGraw-Hill,1965.
7. Luria, A. Higher cortical functions in man. New York: Basic Books, 1966.
8. Milner, B. and Teuber, H. Alterations in perception and memory in man: Reflections on methods. In L. Weizkrantz (Ed.), Analysis of behavior change. New York: Harper and Row, 1968.
9. Roland, P. Asterognosis: Tactile discrimination after localized hemispheric lesions in man. Archives of Neurology, 1976, 33. 543-550.
10. Semmes, J., Weinstein, S., Ghent, L. and Teuber, H. Somatosensory changes after penetrating brain wounds in man, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1960.
11. Teuber, H. Somatosensory disorders due to cortical lesions. Neuropsychologia. 1965. 3. 287-294.
12. Teuber, H. Postscript: Some needed revisions of the classical views of agnosia. Neuropsychologia. 1965 3. 371-378.
13. Lezak, Muriel. Neuropsychological Assessment. New York: Oxford University Press, 1976.
14. Ruch, S. Cortical localization of somatic sensibility. Research publication of the Association of Nervous and Mental Diseases, 1953. 15.
15. DeLay, J. Les Asterognoses. Paris: Mason, 1935.
16. Royce, J.R., Yeudall,L.T., and Bock, C.E. Factor analytic studies of human brain damage: 1. First and second order factors and their brain correlates. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 1976, 11, 381-418.