Augmented manipulation ability in humans with six-fingered hands
File(s)Mehring2019NC.pdf (1.51 MB)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Neurotechnology attempts to develop supernumerary limbs, but can the human brain deal with the complexity to control an extra limb and yield advantages from it? Here, we analyzed the neuromechanics and manipulation abilities of two polydactyly subjects who each possess six fingers on their hands. Anatomical MRI of the supernumerary finger (SF) revealed that it is actuated by extra muscles and nerves, and fMRI identified a distinct cortical representation of the SF. In both subjects, the SF was able to move independently from the other fingers. Polydactyly subjects were able to coordinate the SF with their other fingers for more complex movements than five fingered subjects, and so carry out with only one hand tasks normally requiring two hands. These results demonstrate that a body with significantly more degrees-of-freedom can be controlled by the human nervous system without causing motor deficits or impairments and can instead provide superior manipulation abilities.
Date Issued
2019-06-03
Date Acceptance
2019-04-05
Citation
Nature Communications, 2019, 10 (1), pp.1-9
ISSN
2041-1723
Publisher
Nature Research
Start Page
1
End Page
9
Journal / Book Title
Nature Communications
Volume
10
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© 2019 The Author(s). This article is licensed under a Creative CommonsAttribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing,adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you giveappropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the CreativeCommons license, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third partymaterial in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unlessindicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in thearticle’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutoryregulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly fromthe copyright holder. To view a copy of this license, visithttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Sponsor
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC)
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31160580
PII: 10.1038/s41467-019-10306-w
Grant Number
EP/N032772/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Science & Technology - Other Topics
MOTOR CORTEX
SYNERGIES
REPRESENTATION
AREAS
Adolescent
Brain
Cerebral Cortex
Female
Fingers
Functional Neuroimaging
Hand
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Middle Aged
Movement
Muscle, Skeletal
Polydactyly
Hand
Fingers
Muscle, Skeletal
Brain
Cerebral Cortex
Humans
Polydactyly
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Movement
Adolescent
Middle Aged
Female
Male
Functional Neuroimaging
Publication Status
Published online
Coverage Spatial
England
Article Number
2401
Date Publish Online
2019-06-03