Faculty Collaboration Database

Different Brain Network Connectomic Relationships Subserve Hand Dexterity During Task Versus Resting States in People with Brain Tumors. Brain Behav 2025 Nov;15(11):e71032

Date

11/18/2025

Pubmed ID

41250893

Pubmed Central ID

PMC12623447

DOI

10.1002/brb3.71032

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-105022099950 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore different brain network connectomic relationships subserving hand dexterity in patients with contrast-enhancing brain tumors during task and resting states.

METHOD: We measured hand dexterity, resting state functional connectivity, and task-based functional connectivity in 21 participants with newly diagnosed brain tumors. Hand dexterity was measured using the 9-hole peg test (9HPT), and patient-reported outcomes were assessed with the Duroz Hand Index (DHI).

FINDINGS: We discovered the following: (1) The inability to complete dexterous tasks is most associated with low somatomotor-basal ganglia network connectivity during rest but high somatomotor-basal ganglia network connectivity during tasks; (2) in the subgroup of better dexterous performers, resting somatomotor-salience connectivity is higher in people with poor dexterity-a relationship that holds true in healthy adult subjects from the Human Connectome Project (HCP), suggesting it has fundamental importance; and (3) connectomic measurements were stronger predictors of dexterous performance than classical variables of tumor (i.e., size, grade, or anatomical location).

CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that connectomic correlates of dexterity are different in resting and task-based states. Additionally, our data suggest a threshold level of somatomotor-to-basal ganglia connectivity is required to accomplish dexterous movements, and, in the cases of appropriately preserved somatomotor-to-basal ganglia connectivity, salience-somatomotor connectivity then becomes the dominant connection facilitating performance in a hierarchical fashion. These findings have fundamental implications for both surgical planning and neuromodulation-based rehabilitation.

Author List

Boerger TF, Taquet L, Goetschel K, Young S, Connelly J, Binder JR, Schmit BD, Krucoff MO

Authors

Jeffrey R. Binder MD Professor in the Neurology department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Jennifer M. Connelly MD Professor in the Neurology department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Max O. Krucoff MD Assistant Professor in the Neurosurgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Brian Schmit PhD Professor in the Biomedical Engineering department at Marquette University

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adult
Aged
Brain
Brain Neoplasms
Connectome
Female
Hand
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Middle Aged
Motor Skills
Nerve Net
Neural Pathways
Psychomotor Performance
Rest