Left/right Asymmetry Measures in Somatosensory Cortex Using MEG, ASL and BOLD FMRI.

Claire M. Stevenson¹, Karen J. Mullinger¹, Joanne R. Hale¹, Peter G. Morris¹, Susan T. Francis¹

Functional asymmetry in the human brain, as measured by fMRI, has been well documented in motor regions but to a lesser extent in the somatosensory cortex. Here we combine ultra-high field BOLD fMRI, CBF and modulations in electrical oscillatory activity as measured by MEG to gain insight into mechanisms of cerebral lateralisation in the somatosensory cortex. fMRI results show an increased response contra-laterally and suggest an increase in lateralisation with dominant hand stimulation. Beta power activity appears to follow this trend reinforcing the importance of considering both phase locked and non-phase-locked neural activity when describing the BOLD response.