Event Abstract Back to Event Brain oxygenation in gesture production. Differences between tool use demonstration, tool use pantomimes and body-part-as-object Ingo Helmich1*, Robert Rein2, Christoph Schmitz3 and Hedda Lausberg2 1 Am Sportpark Müngersdorf, Germany 2 Dep. of Neurology, German Sports University Cologne, Germany 3 Berlin NeuroImaging Center (BNIC), Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany Neuropsychological studies on patients with callosal disconnection and unihemispheric brain damage have shown different cerebral activation patterns in tool-related gesture production. Cortical regions associated with tool use skills and tool knowledge revealed networks in both hemispheres, though the left hemisphere is more activated overall [1]. Observations about impaired demonstrations with tool in hand but preserved pantomiming suggest that pantomime is represented as a different cognitive entity in the human brain [2]. In contrast to demonstrations of tool use with tool in hand, pantomiming tool use without tool in hand requires the abilities of abstraction and symbolization. Furthermore, the competence to demonstrate tool use with tool in hand tends to be represented bihemispherically, while pantomiming depends on specific left hemispheric functions [2]. Here, we investigate the differences between tool demo and tool pantomime, and additionally introduce body-part-as-object gestures (BPO) as an experimental condition, in which the hand represents the tool (e.g., index and middle finger represent the scissors). Near-Infrared Spectroscopy is used to assess cerebral topographic and temporal oxygenation changes in response to tool use movements with or without the tool in hands. Results of this study will provide information about topographic distribution of cerebral oxygenation during pantomime in contrast to demonstration of tool use with tool in hand and BPO. So far, first results show different activation patterns for the movement types although the same hand does the same movement. Our results will show if pantomime, tool use demonstration and BPO are different cognitive entities by its different activation patterns observed in NIRS. Keywords: cognitive control, Gesture production Conference: XI International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON XI), Palma, Mallorca, Spain, 25 Sep - 29 Sep, 2011. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Poster Sessions: Performance Monitoring and Cognitive Control Citation: Helmich I, Rein R, Schmitz C and Lausberg H (2011). Brain oxygenation in gesture production. Differences between tool use demonstration, tool use pantomimes and body-part-as-object. Conference Abstract: XI International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON XI). doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2011.207.00255 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 21 Nov 2011; Published Online: 28 Nov 2011. * Correspondence: Dr. Ingo Helmich, Am Sportpark Müngersdorf, Cologne, Germany, i.helmich@dshs-koeln.de Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Ingo Helmich Robert Rein Christoph Schmitz Hedda Lausberg Google Ingo Helmich Robert Rein Christoph Schmitz Hedda Lausberg Google Scholar Ingo Helmich Robert Rein Christoph Schmitz Hedda Lausberg PubMed Ingo Helmich Robert Rein Christoph Schmitz Hedda Lausberg Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.