EEG and neuronavigated single-pulse TMS in the study of the observation/execution matching system: Are both techniques measuring the same process?

Post-Movement Beta Synchrony Inhibits Cortical Excitability

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

This study investigates the relationship between movement-related beta synchrony and primary motor cortex (M1) excitability, focusing on the time-dependent inhibition of movement. Voluntary movement induces beta frequency (13-30 Hz) event-related desynchronisation (B-ERD) in M1, followed by post-movement beta rebound (PMBR). Although PMBR is linked to cortical inhibition, its temporal relationship with motor cortical excitability is unclear. This study aims to determine whether PMBR acts as a marker for post-movement inhibition by assessing motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) during distinct phases of the beta synchrony profile.

METHODS

Twenty-five right-handed participants (mean age: 24 years) were recruited. EMG data were recorded from the first dorsal interosseous muscle, and TMS was applied to the M1 motor hotspot to evoke MEPs. A reaction time task was used to elicit beta oscillations, with TMS delivered at participant-specific time points based on EEG-derived beta power envelopes. MEP amplitudes were compared across four phases: B-ERD, early PMBR, peak PMBR, and late PMBR.

RESULTS

Our findings demonstrate that MEP amplitude significantly increased during B-ERD compared to rest, indicating heightened cortical excitability. In contrast, MEPs recorded during peak PMBR were significantly reduced, suggesting cortical inhibition. While all three PMBR phases exhibited reduced cortical excitability, a trend toward amplitude-dependent inhibition was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

This study confirms that PMBR is linked to reduced cortical excitability, validating its role as a marker of motor cortical inhibition. These results enhance the understanding of beta oscillations in motor control and suggest that further research on altered PMBR could be crucial for understanding neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Propagating motor cortical patterns of excitability are ubiquitous across human and non-human primate movement initiation

A spatiotemporal pattern of excitability propagates across the primary motor cortex prior to the onset of a reaching movement in non-human primates. If this pattern is a necessary component of voluntary movement initiation, it should be present across a variety of motor tasks, end-effectors, and even species. Here, we show that propagating patterns of excitability occur during the initiation of precision grip force and tongue protrusion in non-human primates, and even isometric wrist extension in a human participant. In all tasks, the directions of propagation across the cortical sheet were bimodally distributed across trials with modes oriented roughly opposite to one another. Propagation speed was unimodally distributed with similar mean speeds across tasks and species. Additionally, propagation direction and speed did not vary systematically with any behavioral measures except response times indicating that this propagating pattern is invariant to kinematic or kinetic details and may be a generic movement initiation signal.

Down and up! Does the mu rhythm index a gating mechanism in the developing motor system?

Developmental research on action processing in the motor cortex relies on a key neural marker - a decrease in 6-12 Hz activity (coined mu suppression). However, recent evidence points towards an increase in mu power, specific for the observation of others' actions. Complementing the findings on mu suppression, this raises the critical question for the functional role of the mu rhythm in the developing motor system. We here discuss a potential solution to this seeming controversy by suggesting a gating function of the mu rhythm: A decrease in mu power may index the facilitation, while an increase may index the inhibition of motor processes, which are critical during action observation. This account may advance our conception of action understanding in early brain development and points towards critical directions for future research.

The Neurophysiological Impact of Subacute Stroke: Changes in Cortical Oscillations Evoked by Bimanual Finger Movement

Introduction. To design more effective interventions, such as neurostimulation, for stroke rehabilitation, there is a need to understand early physiological changes that take place that may be relevant for clinical monitoring. We aimed to study changes in neurophysiology following recent ischemic stroke, both at rest and with motor planning and execution. Materials and Methods. We included 10 poststroke patients, between 7 and 10 days after stroke, and 20 age-matched controls to assess changes in cortical motor output via transcranial magnetic stimulation and in dynamics of oscillations, as recorded using electroencephalography (EEG). Results. We found significant differences in cortical oscillatory patterns comparing stroke patients with healthy participants, particularly in the beta rhythm during motor planning ( $p=0.011$ ) and execution ( $p=0.004$ ) of a complex movement with fingers from both hands simultaneously. Discussion. The stroke lesion induced a decrease in event-related desynchronization in patients, in comparison to controls, providing evidence for decreased disinhibition. Conclusions. After a stroke lesion, the dynamics of cortical oscillations is changed, with an increasing neural beta synchronization in the course of motor preparation and performance of complex bimanual finger tasks. The observed patterns may provide a potential functional measure that could be used to monitor and design interventional approaches in subacute stages.

Spontaneous Fluctuations in Oscillatory Brain State Cause Differences in Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Effects Within and Between Individuals

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can cause measurable effects on neural activity and behavioral performance in healthy volunteers. In addition, TMS is increasingly used in clinical practice for treating various neuropsychiatric disorders. Unfortunately, TMS-induced effects show large intra- and inter-subject variability, hindering its reliability, and efficacy. One possible source of this variability may be the spontaneous fluctuations of neuronal oscillations. We present recent studies using multimodal TMS including TMS-EMG (electromyography), TMS-tACS (transcranial alternating current stimulation), and concurrent TMS-EEG-fMRI (electroencephalography, functional magnetic resonance imaging), to evaluate how individual oscillatory brain state affects TMS signal propagation within targeted networks. We demonstrate how the spontaneous oscillatory state at the time of TMS influences both immediate and longer-lasting TMS effects. These findings indicate that at least part of the variability in TMS efficacy may be attributable to the current practice of ignoring (spontaneous) oscillatory fluctuations during TMS. Ignoring this state-dependent spread of activity may cause great individual variability which so far is poorly understood and has proven impossible to control. We therefore also compare two technical solutions to directly account for oscillatory state during TMS, namely, to use (a) tACS to externally control these oscillatory states and then apply TMS at the optimal (controlled) brain state, or (b) oscillatory state-triggered TMS (closed-loop TMS). The described multimodal TMS approaches are paramount for establishing more robust TMS effects, and to allow enhanced control over the individual outcome of TMS interventions aimed at modulating information flow in the brain to achieve desirable changes in cognition, mood, and behavior.

The Role of Continuous Theta Burst TMS in the Neurorehabilitation of Subacute Stroke Patients: A Placebo-Controlled Study

Objectives: Transcranial magnetic stimulation, in particular continuous theta burst (cTBS), has been proposed for stroke rehabilitation, based on the concept that inhibition of the healthy hemisphere helps promote the recovery of the lesioned one. We aimed to study its effects on cortical excitability, oscillatory patterns, and motor function, the main aim being to identify potentially beneficial neurophysiological effects. Materials and Methods: We applied randomized real or placebo stimulation over the unaffected primary motor cortex of 10 subacute (7 ± 3 days) post-stroke patients. Neurophysiological measurements were performed using electroencephalography and electromyography. Motor function was assessed with the Wolf Motor Function Test. We performed a repeated measure study with the recordings taken pre-, post-cTBS, and at 3 months' follow-up. Results: We investigated changes in motor rhythms during arm elevation and thumb opposition tasks and found significant changes in beta power of the affected thumb's opposition, specifically after real cTBS. Our results are consistent with an excitatory response (increase in event-related desynchronization) in the sensorimotor cortical areas of the affected hemisphere, after stimulation. Neither peak-to-peak amplitude of motor-evoked potentials nor motor performance were significantly altered. Conclusions: Consistently with the theoretical prediction, this contralateral inhibitory stimulation paradigm changes neurophysiology, leading to a significant excitatory impact on the cortical oscillatory patterns of the contralateral hemisphere. These proof-of-concept results provide evidence for the potential role of continuous TBS in the neurorehabilitation of post-stroke patients. We suggest that these changes in ERS/ERD patterns should be further explored in future phase IIb/phase III clinical trials, in larger samples of poststroke patients.

Is there a relationship between EEG and sTMS neurophysiological markers of the putative human mirror neuron system?

The mirror neuron system (MNS) has been theorized to play a neurobiological role in a number of social cognitive abilities and is commonly indexed putatively in humans via interpersonal motor resonance (IMR) and mu suppression. Although both indices are thought to measure similar neuronal populations (i.e., "mirror neurons"), it has been suggested that these methods are unrelated, and therefore, incompatible. However, prior studies reporting no relationships were typically conducted in small and underpowered samples. Thus, we aimed to investigate this potential association in a large sample of neurotypical adults (N = 116; 72 females). Participants underwent transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), electromyography (EMG), and electroencephalography (EEG) during the observation of videos of actors performing grasping actions in order to index IMR and mu suppression (in beta, lower alpha, and upper alpha bandwidths). A series of linear regressions revealed no associations between IMR and each of the mu suppression bandwidths. Supplementary Bayesian analyses provided further evidence in favor of the null (B₀₁  = 8.85-8.93), providing further support for no association between the two indices of MNS activity. Our findings suggest that these two measures may indeed be unrelated indices that perhaps assess different neurophysiological aspects of the MNS. These results have important implications for future studies examining the MNS.

Phase and power modulations on the amplitude of TMS-induced motor evoked potentials

The evaluation of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)-induced motor evoked potentials (MEPs) promises valuable information about fundamental brain related mechanisms and may serve as a diagnostic tool for clinical monitoring of therapeutic progress or surgery procedures. However, reports about spontaneous fluctuations of MEP amplitudes causing high intra-individual variability have led to increased concerns about the reliability of this measure. One possible cause for high variability of MEPs could be neuronal oscillatory activity, which reflects fluctuations of membrane potentials that systematically increase and decrease the excitability of neuronal networks. Here, we investigate the dependence of MEP amplitude on oscillation power and phase by combining the application of single pulse TMS over the primary motor cortex with concurrent recordings of electromyography and electroencephalography. Our results show that MEP amplitude is correlated to alpha phase, alpha power as well as beta phase. These findings may help explain corticospinal excitability fluctuations by highlighting the modulatory effect of alpha and beta phase on MEPs. In the future, controlling for such a causal relationship may allow for the development of new protocols, improve this method as a (diagnostic) tool and increase the specificity and efficacy of general TMS applications.

Associations between Task-Related Modulation of Motor-Evoked Potentials and EEG Event-Related Desynchronization in Children with ADHD

Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have previously shown a decreased magnitude of event-related desynchronization (ERD) during a finger-tapping task, with a large between-group effect. Because the neurobiology underlying several transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) measures have been studied in multiple contexts, we compared ERD and 3 TMS measures (resting motor threshold [RMT], short-interval cortical inhibition [SICI], and task-related up-modulation [TRUM]) within 14 participants with ADHD (ages 8-12 years) and 17 control children. The typically developing (TD) group showed a correlation between greater RMT and greater magnitude of alpha (10-13 Hz, here) ERD, and there was no diagnostic interaction effect, consistent with a rudimentary model of greater needed energy input to stimulate movement. Similarly, inhibition measured by SICI was also greater in the TD group when the magnitude of movement-related ERD was higher; there was a miniscule diagnostic interaction effect. Finally, TRUM during a response-inhibition task showed an unanticipated pattern: in TD children, the greater TMS task modulation (TRUM) was associated with a smaller magnitude of ERD during finger-tapping. The ADHD group showed the opposite direction of association: Greater TRUM was associated with larger magnitude of ERD. Prior EEG results have demonstrated specific alterations of task-related modulation of cortical physiology, and the current results provide a fulcrum for multimodal study.

Enhanced mirroring upon mutual gaze: multimodal evidence from TMS-assessed corticospinal excitability and the EEG mu rhythm

Previous research has demonstrated that eye contact between actor and observer specifically enhances the 'mirroring' of others' actions, as measured by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)-induced motor evoked potentials (MEPs). However, it remains unknown whether other markers of mirror system activation, such as suppression of the EEG mu rhythm (8-13 Hz) over the sensorimotor strip, are also susceptible to perceived eye contact. Here, both TMS-induced MEPs and EEG mu suppression indices were assessed (in separate sessions) while 32 participants (mean age: 24y; 8m) observed a simple hand movement combined with direct or averted gaze from the actor. Both measures were significantly modulated by perceived eye gaze during action observation; showing an increase in MEP amplitude and an attenuation of the mu rhythm during direct vs. averted gaze. Importantly, while absolute MEP and mu suppression scores were not related, a significant association was identified between gaze-related changes in MEPs and mu suppression, indicating that both measures are similarly affected by the modulatory impact of gaze cues. Our results suggest that although the neural substrates underlying TMS-induced MEPs and the EEG mu rhythm may differ, both are sensitive to the social relevance of the observed actions, which might reflect a similar neural gating mechanism.

Phase dependent modulation of cortical activity during action observation and motor imagery of walking: An EEG study

Action observation (AO) and motor imagery (MI) are motor simulations which induce cortical activity related to execution of observed and imagined movements. Neuroimaging studies have mainly investigated where the cortical activities during AO and MI of movements are activated and if they match those activated during execution of the movements. However, it remains unclear how cortical activity is modulated; in particular, whether activity depends on observed or imagined phases of movements. We have previously examined the neural mechanisms underlying AO and MI of walking, focusing on the combined effect of AO with MI (AO+MI) and phase dependent modulation of corticospinal and spinal reflex excitability. Here, as a continuation of our previous studies, we investigated cortical activity depending on gait phases during AO and AO+MI of walking by using electroencephalography (EEG); 64-channel EEG signals were recorded in which participants observed walking with or without imagining it, respectively. EEG source and spectral analyses showed that, in the sensorimotor cortex during AO+MI and AO, the alpha and beta power were decreased, and power spectral modulations depended on walking phases. The phase dependent modulations during AO+MI, but not during AO, were like those which occur during actual walking as reported by previous walking studies. These results suggest that combinatory effects of AO+MI could induce parts of the phase dependent activation of the sensorimotor cortex during walking even without any movements. These findings would extend understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying walking and cognitive motor processes and provide clinically beneficial information towards rehabilitation for patients with neurological gait dysfunctions.

Is the Putative Mirror Neuron System Associated with Empathy? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Theoretical perspectives suggest that the mirror neuron system (MNS) is an important neurobiological contributor to empathy, yet empirical support is mixed. Here, we adopt a summary model for empathy, consisting of motor, emotional, and cognitive components of empathy. This review provides an overview of existing empirical studies investigating the relationship between putative MNS activity and empathy in healthy populations. 52 studies were identified that investigated the association between the MNS and at least one domain of empathy, representing data from 1044 participants. Our results suggest that emotional and cognitive empathy are moderately correlated with MNS activity, however, these domains were mixed and varied across techniques used to acquire MNS activity (TMS, EEG, and fMRI). Few studies investigated motor empathy, and of those, no significant relationships were revealed. Overall, results provide preliminary evidence for a relationship between MNS activity and empathy. However, our findings highlight methodological variability in study design as an important factor in understanding this relationship. We discuss limitations regarding these methodological variations and important implications for clinical and community translations, as well as suggestions for future research.

Inferring Causality from Noninvasive Brain Stimulation in Cognitive Neuroscience

Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation or transcranial direct and alternating current stimulation, are advocated as measures to enable causal inference in cognitive neuroscience experiments. Transcending the limitations of purely correlative neuroimaging measures and experimental sensory stimulation, they allow to experimentally manipulate brain activity and study its consequences for perception, cognition, and eventually, behavior. Although this is true in principle, particular caution is advised when interpreting brain stimulation experiments in a causal manner. Research hypotheses are often oversimplified, disregarding the underlying (implicitly assumed) complex chain of causation, namely, that the stimulation technique has to generate an electric field in the brain tissue, which then evokes or modulates neuronal activity both locally in the target region and in connected remote sites of the network, which in consequence affects the cognitive function of interest and eventually results in a change of the behavioral measure. Importantly, every link in this causal chain of effects can be confounded by several factors that have to be experimentally eliminated or controlled to attribute the observed results to their assumed cause. This is complicated by the fact that many of the mediating and confounding variables are not directly observable and dose-response relationships are often nonlinear. We will walk the reader through the chain of causation for a generic cognitive neuroscience NIBS study, discuss possible confounds, and advise appropriate control conditions. If crucial assumptions are explicitly tested (where possible) and confounds are experimentally well controlled, NIBS can indeed reveal cause-effect relationships in cognitive neuroscience studies.

Propagating Motor Cortical Dynamics Facilitate Movement Initiation

Voluntary movement initiation involves the modulations of large groups of neurons in the primary motor cortex (M1). Yet similar modulations occur during movement planning when no movement occurs. Here, we show that a sequential spatiotemporal pattern of excitability propagates across M1 prior to the movement initiation in one of two oppositely oriented directions along the rostro-caudal axis. Using spatiotemporal patterns of intracortical microstimulation, we find that reaction time increases significantly when stimulation is delivered against, but not with, the natural propagation direction. Functional connections among M1 units emerge at movement that are oriented along the same rostro-caudal axis but not during movement planning. Finally, we show that beta amplitude profiles can more accurately decode muscle activity when they conform to the natural propagating patterns. These findings provide the first causal evidence that large-scale, propagating patterns of cortical excitability are behaviorally relevant and may be a necessary component of movement initiation.

Neurophysiological aftereffects of 10 Hz and 20 Hz transcranial alternating current stimulation over bilateral sensorimotor cortex

Alpha (8-12 Hz) and beta (13-30 Hz) oscillations are believed to be involved in motor control. Their modulation with transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) has been shown to alter motor behavior and cortical excitability. The aim of the present study was to determine whether tACS applied bilaterally over sensorimotor cortex at 10 Hz and 20 Hz modulates interhemispheric interactions and corticospinal excitability. Thirty healthy volunteers participated in a randomized, cross-over, sham-controlled, double-blind protocol. Sham and active tACS (10 Hz, 20 Hz, 1 mA) were applied for 20 min over bilateral sensorimotor areas. The physiological effects of tACS on corticospinal excitability and interhemispheric inhibition were assessed with transcranial magnetic stimulation. Physiological mirror movements were assessed to measure the overflow of motor activity to the contralateral M1 during voluntary muscle contraction. Bilateral 10 Hz tACS reduced corticospinal excitability. There was no significant effect of tACS on physiological mirror movements and interhemispheric inhibition. Ten Hz tACS was associated with response patterns consistent with corticospinal inhibition in 57% of participants. The present results indicate that application of tACS at the alpha frequency can induce aftereffects in sensorimotor cortex of healthy individuals.

Continuous theta burst stimulation increases contralateral mu and beta rhythms with arm elevation: implications for neurorehabilitation

The study of the physiological effects underlying brain response to transcranial magnetic stimulation is important to understand its impact on neurorehabilitation. We aim to analyze the impact of a transcranial magnetic stimulation protocol, the continuous theta burst (cTBS), on human neurophysiology, particularly on contralateral motor rhythms. cTBS was applied in 20 subjects over the primary motor cortex. We recorded brain electrical activity pre- and post-cTBS with electroencephalography both at rest and while performing motor tasks, to evaluate changes in brain oscillatory patterns such as mu and beta rhythms. Moreover, we measured motor-evoked potentials before and after cTBS to assess its impact on brain's excitability. On the hemisphere contralateral to the protocol, we did observe a significant increase in mu (p = 0.027) and beta (p = 0.006) rhythms from pre- to post-cTBS, at the beginning of arm elevation. The topology of action planning and motor execution suggests that cTBS produced an inhibitory effect that propagated to the contralateral hemisphere, thereby precluding the expected/desired excitation for therapy purposes. This novel approach provides support for the notion that this protocol induces inhibitory changes in contralateral motor rhythms, by decreasing desynchronization, contradicting the ipsilateral inhibition vs. contralateral disinhibition hypothesis. Our results have implications for personalized cTBS usage as a rehabilitation intervention, suggesting that an unexpected propagation of inhibition can occur.

Pulsed Facilitation of Corticospinal Excitability by the Sensorimotor μ-Alpha Rhythm

Alpha oscillations (8-14 Hz) are assumed to gate information flow in the brain by means of pulsed inhibition; that is, the phasic suppression of cortical excitability and information processing once per alpha cycle, resulting in stronger net suppression for larger alpha amplitudes due to the assumed amplitude asymmetry of the oscillation. While there is evidence for this hypothesis regarding occipital alpha oscillations, it is less clear for the central sensorimotor μ-alpha rhythm. Probing corticospinal excitability via transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the primary motor cortex and the measurement of motor evoked potentials (MEPs), we have previously demonstrated that corticospinal excitability is modulated by both amplitude and phase of the sensorimotor μ-alpha rhythm. However, the direction of this modulation, its proposed asymmetry, and its underlying mechanisms remained unclear. We therefore used real-time EEG-triggered single- and paired-pulse TMS in healthy humans of both sexes to assess corticospinal excitability and GABA-A-receptor mediated short-latency intracortical inhibition (SICI) at rest during spontaneous high amplitude μ-alpha waves at different phase angles (peaks, troughs, rising and falling flanks) and compared them to periods of low amplitude (desynchronized) μ-alpha. MEP amplitude was facilitated during troughs and rising flanks, but no phasic suppression was observed at any time, nor any modulation of SICI. These results are best compatible with sensorimotor μ-alpha reflecting asymmetric pulsed facilitation but not pulsed inhibition of motor cortical excitability. The asymmetric excitability with respect to rising and falling flanks of the μ-alpha cycle further reveals that voltage differences alone cannot explain the impact of phase.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The pulsed inhibition hypothesis, which assumes that alpha oscillations actively inhibit neuronal processing in a phasic manner, is highly influential and has substantially shaped our understanding of these oscillations. However, some of its basic assumptions, in particular its asymmetry and inhibitory nature, have rarely been tested directly. Here, we explicitly investigated the asymmetry of modulation and its direction for the human sensorimotor μ-alpha rhythm. We found clear evidence of pulsed facilitation, but not inhibition, in the human motor cortex, challenging the generalizability of the pulsed inhibition hypothesis and advising caution when interpreting sensorimotor μ-alpha changes in the sensorimotor system. This study also demonstrates how specific assumptions about the neurophysiological underpinnings of cortical oscillations can be experimentally tested noninvasively in humans.

Distinct Beta-band Oscillatory Circuits Underlie Corticospinal Gain Modulation

Rhythmic synchronization of neurons is known to affect neuronal interactions. In the motor system, oscillatory power fluctuations modulate corticospinal excitability. However, previous research addressing phase-specific gain modulation in the motor system has resulted in contradictory findings. It remains unclear how many time windows of increased responsiveness each oscillatory cycle provides. Moreover, we still lack conclusive evidence as to whether the motor cortex entails an intrinsic response modulation along the rhythm cycle, as shown for spinal neurons. We investigated this question with single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation over the primary motor cortex at rest. Application of near-motor threshold stimuli revealed a frequency- and phase-specific gain modulation at both cortical and spinal level, independent of the spontaneous oscillatory power fluctuations at each level. We detected bilateral sensorimotor circuits in the lower beta-band (14–17 Hz) and unilateral corticospinal circuits in the upper beta-band (20–24 Hz). These findings provide novel evidence that intrinsic activity in the human motor cortex modulates input gain along the beta oscillatory cycle within distinct circuits. In accordance with periodic alternations of synchronous hyper- and depolarization, increased neuronal responsiveness occurred once per oscillatory beta cycle. This information may lead to new brain state-dependent and circuit-specific interventions for targeted neuromodulation.

Differential Motor Facilitation During Action Observation in Followers and Leaders on Instagram

High power and high socioeconomic status individuals have been found to exhibit less motor system activity during observation of another individual’s behavior. In the modern world, the use of online social networks for social interaction is increasing, and these social networks afford new forms of social status hierarchy. An important question is whether social status in an online setting affects social information processing in a way that resembles the known effects of real-world status on such processing. Using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), we examined differences in motor cortical output during action observation between Instagram “leaders” and “followers.” Instagram Leaders were defined as individuals who have more followers than they are following, while Instagram Followers were defined as individuals who have fewer followers than they follow. We found that Followers exhibited increased Motor-evoked Potential (MEP) facilitation during action observation compared to Leaders. Correlational analyses also revealed a positive association between an individual’s Instagram follower/following ratio and their perceived sense of online status. Overall, the findings of this study provide some evidence in favor of the idea that our online sense of status and offline sense of status might be concordant in terms of their effect on motor cortical output during action observation.

Statement of Significance: This study highlights the importance of examining the effects of online status on motor cortical output during action observation, and more generally alludes to the importance of understanding online and offline status effects on social information processing.

Neural Basis of Action Observation and Understanding From First- and Third-Person Perspectives: An fMRI Study

Understanding the intentions of others while observing their actions is a fundamental aspect of social behavior. However, the differences in neural and functional mechanisms between observing actions from the first-person perspective (1PP) and third-person perspective (3PP) are poorly understood. The present study had two aims: (1) to delineate the neural basis of action observation and understanding from the 1PP and 3PP; and (2) to identify whether there are different activation patterns during action observation and understanding from 1PP and 3PP. We used a blocked functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experimental design. Twenty-six right-handed participants observed interactions between the right hand and a cup from 1PP and 3PP. The results indicated that both 1PP and 3PP were associated with similar patterns of activation in key areas of the mirror neuron system underlying action observation and understanding. Importantly, besides of the core network of mirror neuron system, we also found that parts of the basal ganglia and limbic system were involved in action observation in both the 1PP and 3PP tasks, including the putamen, insula and hippocampus, providing a more complete understanding of the neural basis for action observation and understanding. Moreover, compared with the 3PP, the 1PP task caused more extensive and stronger activation. In contrast, the opposite comparison revealed that no regions exhibited significantly more activation in the 3PP compared with the 1PP condition. The current results have important implications for understanding the role of the core network underlying the mirror neuron system, as well as parts of the basal ganglia and limbic system, during action observation and understanding.

Motor system recruitment during action observation: No correlation between mu-rhythm desynchronization and corticospinal excitability

Observing others’ actions desynchronizes electroencephalographic (EEG) rhythms and modulates corticospinal excitability as assessed by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). However, it remains unclear if these measures reflect similar neurofunctional mechanisms at the individual level. In the present study, a within-subject experiment was designed to assess these two neurophysiological indexes and to quantify their mutual correlation. Participants observed reach-to-grasp actions directed towards a small (precision grip) or a large object (power grip). We focused on two specific time points for both EEG and TMS. The first time point (t1) coincided with the maximum hand aperture, i.e. the moment at which a significant modulation of corticospinal excitability is expected. The second (t2), coincided with the EEG resynchronization occurring at the end of the action, i.e. the moment at which a hypothetic minimum for action observation effect is expected. Results showed a Mu rhythm bilateral desynchronization at t1 with differential resynchronization at t2 in the two hemispheres. Beta rhythm was more desynchronized in the left hemisphere at both time points. These EEG differences, however, were not influenced by grip type. Conversely, motor potentials evoked by TMS in an intrinsic hand muscle revealed an interaction effect of grip and time. No significant correlations between Mu/Beta rhythms and motor evoked potentials were found. These findings are discussed considering the spatial and temporal resolution of the two investigated techniques and argue over two alternative explanations: i. each technique provides different measures of the same process or ii. they describe complementary features of the action observation network in humans.

Investigating Mirror System (MS) Activity in Adults with ASD When Inferring Others' Intentions Using Both TMS and EEG

ASD is associated with mentalizing deficits that may correspond with atypical mirror system (MS) activation. We investigated MS activity in adults with and without ASD when inferring others' intentions using TMS-induced motor evoked potentials (MEPs) and mu suppression measured by EEG. Autistic traits were measured for all participants. Our EEG data show, high levels of autistic traits predicted reduced right mu (8-10 Hz) suppression when mentalizing. Higher left mu (8-10 Hz) suppression was associated with superior mentalizing performances. Eye-tracking and TMS data showed no differences associated with autistic traits. Our data suggest ASD is associated with reduced right MS activity when mentalizing, TMS-induced MEPs and mu suppression measure different aspects of MS functioning and the MS is directly involved in inferring intentions.

Cortical excitability correlates with the event-related desynchronization during brain-computer interface control

OBJECTIVE

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) based on motor control have been suggested as tools for stroke rehabilitation. Some initial successes have been achieved with this approach, however the mechanism by which they work is not yet fully understood. One possible part of this mechanism is a, previously suggested, relationship between the strength of the event-related desynchronization (ERD), a neural correlate of motor imagination and execution, and corticospinal excitability. Additionally, a key component of BCIs used in neurorehabilitation is the provision of visual feedback to positively reinforce attempts at motor control. However, the ability of visual feedback of the ERD to modulate the activity in the motor system has not been fully explored.

APPROACH

We investigate these relationships via transcranial magnetic stimulation delivered at different moments in the ongoing ERD related to hand contraction and relaxation during BCI control of a visual feedback bar.

MAIN RESULTS

We identify a significant relationship between ERD strength and corticospinal excitability, and find that our visual feedback does not affect corticospinal excitability.

SIGNIFICANCE

Our results imply that efforts to promote functional recovery in stroke by targeting increases in corticospinal excitability may be aided by accounting for the time course of the ERD.

The interpretation of mu suppression as an index of mirror neuron activity: past, present and future

Mu suppression studies have been widely used to infer the activity of the human mirror neuron system (MNS) in a number of processes, ranging from action understanding, language, empathy and the development of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Although mu suppression is enjoying a resurgence of interest, it has a long history. This review aimed to revisit mu's past, and examine its recent use to investigate MNS involvement in language, social processes and ASDs. Mu suppression studies have largely failed to produce robust evidence for the role of the MNS in these domains. Several key potential shortcomings with the use and interpretation of mu suppression, documented in the older literature and highlighted by more recent reports, are explored here.

Phase and Frequency-Dependent Effects of Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation on Motor Cortical Excitability

Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) can entrain ongoing brain oscillations and modulate the motor system in a frequency-dependent manner. Recent animal studies have demonstrated that the phase of a sinusoidal current also has an important role in modulation of neuronal activity. However, the phase effects of tACS on the human motor system are largely unknown. Here, we systematically investigated the effects of tACS phase and frequency on the primary motor cortex (M1) by using motor evoked potentials (MEPs) with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). First, we compared the phase effects (90°, 180°, 270° or 360°) of 10 and 20 Hz tACS on MEPs. The 20 Hz tACS significantly increased M1 excitability compared with the 10 Hz tACS at 90° phase only. Second, we studied the 90° phase effect on MEPs at different tACS frequencies (5, 10, 20 or 40 Hz). The 20 vs. 10 Hz difference was again observed, but the 90° phase in 5 and 40 Hz tACS did not influence M1 excitability. Third, the 90° phase effects of 10 and 20 Hz tACS were compared with sham stimulation. The 90° phase of 20 Hz tACS enhanced MEP amplitudes compared with sham stimulation, but there was no significant effect of 10 Hz tACS. Taken together, we assume that the differential 90° phase effects on 20 Hz and 10 Hz tACS can be attributed to the neural synchronization modulated by tACS. Our results further underline that phase and frequency are the important factors in the effects of tACS on M1 excitability.

Empathy or Ownership? Evidence from Corticospinal Excitability Modulation during Pain Observation

Recent studies show that motor responses similar to those present in one's own pain (freezing effect) occur as a result of observation of pain in others. This finding has been interpreted as the physiological basis of empathy. Alternatively, it can represent the physiological counterpart of an embodiment phenomenon related to the sense of body ownership. We compared the empathy and the ownership hypotheses by manipulating the perspective of the observed hand model receiving pain so that it could be a first-person perspective, the one in which embodiment occurs, or a third-person perspective, the one in which we usually perceive the others. Motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) by TMS over M1 were recorded from first dorsal interosseous muscle, whereas participants observed video clips showing (a) a needle penetrating or (b) a Q-tip touching a hand model, presented either in first-person or in third-person perspective. We found that a pain-specific inhibition of MEP amplitude (a significantly greater MEP reduction in the "pain" compared with the "touch" conditions) only pertains to the first-person perspective, and it is related to the strength of the self-reported embodiment. We interpreted this corticospinal modulation according to an "affective" conception of body ownership, suggesting that the body I feel as my own is the body I care more about.

Combining TMS and tACS for Closed-Loop Phase-Dependent Modulation of Corticospinal Excitability: A Feasibility Study

BACKGROUND

The corticospinal excitability indexed by motor evoked potentials (MEPs) following transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the sensorimotor cortex is characterized by large variability. The instantaneous phase of cortical oscillations at the time of the stimulation has been suggested as a possible source of this variability. To explore this hypothesis, a specific phase needs to be targeted by TMS pulses with high temporal precision.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this feasibility study was to introduce a methodology capable of exploring the effects of phase-dependent stimulation by the concurrent application of alternating current stimulation (tACS) and TMS.

METHOD

We applied online calibration and closed-loop TMS to target four specific phases (0°, 90°, 180° and 270°) of simultaneous 20 Hz tACS over the primary motor cortex (M1) of seven healthy subjects.

RESULT

The integrated stimulation system was capable of hitting the target phase with high precision (SD ± 2.05 ms, i.e., ± 14.45°) inducing phase-dependent MEP modulation with a phase lag (CI95% = -40.37° to -99.61°) which was stable across subjects (p = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The combination of different neuromodulation techniques facilitates highly specific brain state-dependent stimulation, and may constitute a valuable tool for exploring the physiological and therapeutic effect of phase-dependent stimulation, e.g., in the context of neurorehabilitation.

Mu suppression - A good measure of the human mirror neuron system?

Mu suppression has been proposed as a signature of the activity of the human mirror neuron system (MNS). However the mu frequency band (8–13 Hz) overlaps with the alpha frequency band, which is sensitive to attentional fluctuation, and thus mu suppression could potentially be confounded by changes in attentional engagement. The specific baseline against which mu suppression is assessed may be crucial, yet there is little consistency in how this is defined. We examined mu suppression in 61 typical adults, the largest mu suppression study so far conducted. We compared different methods of baselining, and examined activity at central and occipital electrodes, to both biological (hands) and non-biological (kaleidoscope) moving stimuli, to investigate the involvement of attention and alpha activity in mu suppression. We also examined changes in beta power, another candidate index of MNS engagement. We observed strong mu suppression restricted to central electrodes when participants performed hand movements, demonstrating that mu is indeed responsive to the activity of the motor cortex. However, when we looked for a similar signature of mu suppression to passively observed stimuli, the baselining method proved to be crucial. Selective suppression for biological versus non-biological stimuli was seen at central electrodes only when we used a within-trial baseline based on a static stimulus: this method greatly reduced trial-by-trial variation in the suppression measure compared with baselines based on blank trials presented in separate blocks. Even in this optimal condition, 16–21% of participants showed no mu suppression. Changes in beta power also did not match our predicted pattern for MNS engagement, and did not seem to offer a better measure than mu. Our conclusions are in contrast to those of a recent meta-analysis, which concluded that mu suppression is a valid means to examine mirror neuron activity. We argue that mu suppression can be used to index the human MNS, but the effect is weak and unreliable and easily confounded with alpha suppression.

No evidence for mirror system dysfunction in schizophrenia from a multimodal TMS/EEG study

Dysfunctional mirror neuron systems have been proposed to contribute to the social cognitive deficits observed in schizophrenia. A few studies have explored mirror systems in schizophrenia using various techniques such as TMS (levels of motor resonance) or EEG (levels of mu suppression), with mixed results. This study aimed to use a novel multimodal approach (i.e. concurrent TMS and EEG) to further investigate mirror systems and social cognition in schizophrenia. Nineteen individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and 19 healthy controls participated. Single-pulse TMS was applied to M1 during the observation of hand movements designed to elicit mirror system activity. Single EEG electrodes (C3, CZ, C4) recorded brain activity. Participants also completed facial affect recognition and theory of mind tasks. The schizophrenia group showed significant deficits in facial affect recognition and higher level theory of mind compared to healthy controls. A significant positive relationship was revealed between mu suppression and motor resonance for the overall sample, indicating concurrent validity of these measures. Levels of mu suppression and motor resonance were not significantly different between groups. These findings indicate that in stable outpatients with schizophrenia, mirror system functioning is intact, and therefore their social cognitive difficulties may be caused by alternative pathophysiology.

Alpha and beta EEG power reflects L-dopa acute administration in parkinsonian patients

Aim: To evaluate the effect of an acute L-dopa administration on eye-closed resting state electroencephalographic (EEG) activity of cognitively preserved Parkinsonian patients.

Methods: We examined 24 right-handed patients diagnosed as uncomplicated probable Parkinson’s disease (PD). Each patient underwent Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS)-part-III evaluation before and 60 min after an oral load of L-dopa-methyl-ester/carbidopa 250/25 mg. Resting condition eyes-closed EEG data were recorded both pre- and post L-dopa load. Absolute EEG power values were calculated at each scalp derivation for Delta, Theta, Alpha and Beta frequency bands. UPDRS scores (both global and subscale scores) and EEG data (power values of different frequency bands for each scalp derivation) were submitted to a statistical analysis to compare Pre and Post L-Dopa conditions. Finally, a correlation analysis was carried out between EEG spectral content and UPDRS scores.

Results: Considering EEG power spectral analysis, no statistically significant differences arose on Delta and Theta bands after L-dopa intake. Conversely, Alpha and Beta rhythms significantly increased on centro-parietal scalp derivations, as a function of L-dopa administration. Correlation analysis indicated a significant negative correlation between Beta power increase on centro-parietal areas and UPDRS subscores (Rigidity of arms and Bradykinesia). A minor significant negative correlation was also found between Alpha band increase and resting tremor.

Conclusions: Assuming that a significant change in EEG power spectrum after L-dopa intake may be related to dopaminergic mechanisms, our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that dopaminergic defective networks are implicated in cortical oscillatory abnormalities at rest in non-demented PD patients.

Beta oscillations reveal ethnicity ingroup bias in sensorimotor resonance to pain of others

People evaluate members of their own social group more favorably and empathize more strongly with their ingroup members. Using electroencephalography (EEG), we explored whether resonant responses of sensorimotor cortex to the pain of others are modulated by the ethnicity of these others. White participants watched video clips of ethnic ingroup and outgroup hands, being either penetrated by a needle syringe or touched by a cotton swab, while EEG was recorded. Time-frequency analysis was applied to Laplacian-transformed signals from the sensors overlying sensorimotor cortex in order to assess event-related desynchronization and synchronization (ERD/ERS) of sensorimotor mu (7-12 Hz) and beta (13-30 Hz) rhythms. When watching needle injections, beta ERD was significantly stronger for ingroup compared with outgroup hands. This ethnicity bias was restricted to painful actions, as beta ERD for ingroup and outgroup hands neither differed when observing no-pain videos, nor during presentation of the hands without any treatment. Such vicarious sensorimotor activation could play a role in social interaction by enhancing the understanding of the feelings and reactions of others and hence facilitating behavioral coordination among group members.

Associative learning alone is insufficient for the evolution and maintenance of the human mirror neuron system

Cook et al. argue that mirror neurons originate from associative learning processes, without evolutionary influence from social-cognitive mechanisms. We disagree with this claim and present arguments based upon cross-species comparisons, EEG findings, and developmental neuroscience that the evolution of mirror neurons is most likely driven simultaneously and interactively by evolutionarily adaptive psychological mechanisms and lower-level biological mechanisms that support them.

Mirror neurons: Tests and testability

Commentators have tended to focus on the conceptual framework of our article, the contrast between genetic and associative accounts of mirror neurons, and to challenge it with additional possibilities rather than empirical data. This makes the empirically focused comments especially valuable. The mirror neuron debate is replete with ideas; what it needs now are system-level theories and careful experiments – tests and testability.

Paired associative stimulation enforces the communication between interconnected areas

Paired associative stimulation (PAS) protocols induce forms of spike-timing-dependent-plasticity (STDP) when paired pulses are repeatedly applied with different timing over interconnected cortical areas such as the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) and the primary motor cortex (M1). However, the assessment of PAS effects is usually limited to M1 through recording of motor-evoked potential (MEP) amplitude. Here, by combining transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with EEG we aimed at investigating PAS effects over both areas (PPC, M1) and the modulation induced on their connectivity in humans. In different PAS conditions, PPC preceded or followed M1 TMS by 5 ms. We found that TMS-evoked potentials (TEPs) changed differently according to the long-term depression (LTD) or potentiation (LTP) after-effect assessed by MEPs, but did not vary at PPC level. Moreover, there was no change in local oscillatory power. However, there was a remarkable increase of coherence between the PPC and the M1 areas. When the PAS protocol induced LTD as revealed by MEPs, there was a specific increase of the coherence between PPC and M1 within the beta band. On the contrary, when PAS induced LTP, the coherence crucially increased in the alpha band. The same LTP results were confirmed when rotating the stimulating coil in M1 during the PAS protocol. In conclusion, we report new evidence that opposite STDP-like effects induced by corticocortical PAS are associated with increased communication between involved brain areas and that antithetic forms of STDP-like after-effects result in distinct cortical rhythms connectivity changes.

Time-varying coupling of EEG oscillations predicts excitability fluctuations in the primary motor cortex as reflected by motor evoked potentials amplitude: an EEG-TMS study

PURPOSE

Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) elicited by a train of consecutive, individual transcranial magnetic stimuli demonstrate fluctuations in amplitude with respect to time when recorded from a relaxed muscle. The influence of time-varying, instantaneous modifications of the electroencephalography (EEG) properties immediately preceding the transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has rarely been explored. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the pre-TMS motor cortex and related areas EEG profile on time variants of the MEPs amplitude.

METHOD

MRI-navigated TMS and multichannel TMS-compatible EEG devices were used. For each experimental subject, post-hoc analysis of the MEPs amplitude that was based on the 50th percentile of the MEPs amplitude distribution provided two subgroups corresponding to "high" (large amplitude) and "low" (small amplitude). The pre-stimulus EEG characteristics (coherence and spectral profile) from the motor cortex and related areas were analyzed separately for the "high" and "low" MEPs and were then compared.

RESULTS

On the stimulated hemisphere, EEG coupling was observed more often in the high compared to the low MEP trials. Moreover, a paradigmatic pattern in which TMS was able to lead to significantly larger MEPs was found when the EEG of the stimulated motor cortex was coupled in the beta 2 band with the ipsilateral prefrontal cortex and in the delta band with the bilateral centro-parietal-occipital cortices.

CONCLUSION

This data provide evidence for a statistically significant influence of time-varying and spatially patterned synchronization of EEG rhythms in determining cortical excitability, namely motor cortex excitability in response to TMS.

Now I am ready-now i am not: The influence of pre-TMS oscillations and corticomuscular coherence on motor-evoked potentials

There is a growing body of research on the functional role of oscillatory brain activity. However, its relation to functional connectivity has remained largely obscure. In the sensorimotor system, movement-related changes emerge in the α (8-14 Hz) and β (15-30 Hz) range (event-related desynchronization, ERD, before and during movement; event-related synchronization, ERS, after movement offset). Some studies suggest that β-ERS may functionally inhibit new movements. According to the gating-by-inhibition framework ( Jensen and Mazaheri 2010), we expected that the ERD would go along with increased corticomuscular coupling, and vice versa. By combining transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electroencephalography, we were directly able to test this hypothesis. In a reaction time task, single TMS pulses were delivered randomly during ERD/ERS to the motor cortex. The motor-evoked potential (MEP) was then related to the β and α frequencies and corticomuscular coherence. Results indicate that MEPs are smaller when preceded by high pre-TMS β-band power and low pre-TMS α-band corticomuscular coherence (and vice versa) in a network of motor-relevant areas comprising frontal, parietal, and motor cortices. This confirms that an increase in rhythms that putatively reflect functionally inhibited states goes along with weaker coupling of the respective brain regions.

Frequency-dependent tuning of the human motor system induced by transcranial oscillatory potentials

Different corticothalamic brain modules intrinsically oscillate at a "natural frequency" in a topographically organized manner. In "quiescent" human sensorimotor regions, the main detectable oscillatory activity peaks at ∼20 Hz, and partly contributes to determine the state of corticospinal excitability. Here, we showed that the transcranial application of an imperceptible, short-lasting (90 s) electric field oscillating at a physiological range increases corticospinal excitability online, with well defined frequency dependence and regional specificity. Indeed, the size of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) induced by navigated single-pulse TMS over the motor cortex significantly increased only during the local application of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) at 20 Hz (β range). Other tACS frequencies (5, 10, and 40 Hz) applied on the motor cortex did not impact MEPs' size. Moreover, tACS applied on a control site (parietal cortex) and on a peripheral site (ulnar nerve) also failed to modulate MEPs. These results help clarifying the functional significance of the 20 Hz idling β rhythm of sensorimotor regions and suggest potential clinical applications of this approach.