Abstract: Objective To investigate the effect of unilateral electric stimulation of lower limbs movement on central nervous system. Methods 8 right-footed healthy men accepted electrical stimulation to evoke dorsiflexion of the right ankle, while the cerebral cortex activations were observed with functional magnetic resonance imaging. Results For electrical stimulation evoked contraction task, the significant activations were observed in the bilateral primary motor cortex, primary sensory area, secondary somatosensory cortex, cingulated gyrus; ipsilateral premotor area and contralateral supplementary motor area. Conclusion Unilateral electrical stimulation may result in activations of bilateral cerebral cortex.

Key words: electrical stimulation, unilateral lower limbs, functional magnetic resonance imaging, cerebral function