Functional connectivity alteration after real-time fMRI motor imagery training through self-regulation of activities of the right premotor cortex

BACKGROUND: Real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging technology (real-time fMRI) is a novel method that can be used to investigate motor imagery training, it has attracted increasing attention in recent years, due to its ability to facilitate subjects in regulating the activities of specific brain regions to influence their behaviors. Lots of researchers have demonstrated that the right premotor area play critical roles during real-time fMRI motor imagery training. Thus, it has been hypothesized that modulating the activity of right premotor area may result in an alteration of the functional connectivity between the premotor area and other motor-related regions. RESULTS: The results indicated that the functional connectivity between the bilateral premotor area and right posterior parietal lobe significantly decreased during the imagination task. CONCLUSIONS: This finding is new evidence that real-time fMRI is effective and can provide a theoretical guidance for the alteration of the motor function of brain regions associated with motor imagery training. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12868-015-0167-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.