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Di Cesare G, Lombardi G, Zeidman P, Urgen BA, Sciutti A, Friston KJ, Rizzolatti G. Two distinct networks for encoding goals and forms of action: An effective connectivity study. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2402282121. [PMID: 38885383 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2402282121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Goal-directed actions are characterized by two main features: the content (i.e., the action goal) and the form, called vitality forms (VF) (i.e., how actions are executed). It is well established that both the action content and the capacity to understand the content of another's action are mediated by a network formed by a set of parietal and frontal brain areas. In contrast, the neural bases of action forms (e.g., gentle or rude actions) have not been characterized. However, there are now studies showing that the observation and execution of actions endowed with VF activate, in addition to the parieto-frontal network, the dorso-central insula (DCI). In the present study, we established-using dynamic causal modeling (DCM)-the direction of information flow during observation and execution of actions endowed with gentle and rude VF in the human brain. Based on previous fMRI studies, the selected nodes for the DCM comprised the posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS), the inferior parietal lobule (IPL), the premotor cortex (PM), and the DCI. Bayesian model comparison showed that, during action observation, two streams arose from pSTS: one toward IPL, concerning the action goal, and one toward DCI, concerning the action vitality forms. During action execution, two streams arose from PM: one toward IPL, concerning the action goal and one toward DCI concerning action vitality forms. This last finding opens an interesting question concerning the possibility to elicit VF in two distinct ways: cognitively (from PM to DCI) and affectively (from DCI to PM).
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Di Cesare
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma 43125, Italy
- Cognitive Architecture for Collaborative Technologies Unit, Italian Institute of Technology, Genova 16163, Italy
| | - Giada Lombardi
- Cognitive Architecture for Collaborative Technologies Unit, Italian Institute of Technology, Genova 16163, Italy
- Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics and Systems Engineering, University of Genoa, Genoa 16145, Italy
| | - Peter Zeidman
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
| | - Burcu A Urgen
- Department of Psychology, Bilkent University, Ankara 06800, Turkey
- Department of Neuroscience, Bilkent University, Ankara 06800, Turkey
- Aysel Sabuncu Brain Research Center & National Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara 06800, Turkey
| | - Alessandra Sciutti
- Cognitive Architecture for Collaborative Technologies Unit, Italian Institute of Technology, Genova 16163, Italy
| | - Karl J Friston
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
| | - Giacomo Rizzolatti
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma 43125, Italy
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council of Italy, Parma 43125, Italy
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2
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Manzone DM, Tremblay L. Sensorimotor processing is dependent on observed speed during the observation of hand-hand and hand-object interactions. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2022:10.1007/s00426-022-01776-7. [PMID: 36515698 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-022-01776-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Observing a physical interaction between individuals (e.g., observing friends shaking hands) or between an object and an individual (e.g., observing a teammate striking or being struck with a ball) can lead to somatosensory activation in the observer. However, it is not known whether the speed of the observed interaction modulates such somatosensory activation (e.g., observing a teammate being struck with a slow vs. a fast-moving ball). In three experiments, participants observed a hand or object interact with another hand or object, all presented with a slow- or fast-moving effector. To probe sensorimotor processes during observation, participants were asked to react to an auditory beep (i.e., response time [RT] task) at the moment of observed contact. If observed contact led to increased somatosensory activation, RTs would decrease due to statistical and/ or intersensory facilitation. In all three experiments, RTs were lower when observing fast compared to slow motion stimuli, regardless of the moving (i.e., hand or ball) and target stimulus (i.e., hand or leaf). Further, when only an object (i.e., leaf) was the target, RTs did not differ between the moving hand and moving ball condition. In contrast, when an object (i.e., ball) was used as the moving stimulus, the magnitude of the speed effect (i.e., fast - slow RT difference) was significantly larger when the ball contacted a hand as compared to a leaf. Overall, these results provide novel evidence for a relationship between the observed kinematics of an object-human interaction and the sensorimotor processing in the observer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damian M Manzone
- Perceptual Motor Behaviour Laboratory, Centre for Motor Control, Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, 55 Harbord Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 2W6, Canada
| | - Luc Tremblay
- Perceptual Motor Behaviour Laboratory, Centre for Motor Control, Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, 55 Harbord Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 2W6, Canada.
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3
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Manzone DM, Tremblay L. Facilitation of tactile processing during action observation of goal-directed reach and grasp movements. J Neurophysiol 2022; 128:681-688. [PMID: 35946802 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00236.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Our perception of sensory events can be altered by action, but less is known about how our perception can be altered by action observation. For example, our ability to detect tactile stimuli is reduced when our limb is moving, and task-relevance and movement speed can alter such tactile detectability. During action observation, however, the relationship between tactile processing and such modulating factors is not known. Thus, the current study sought to explore tactile processing at a task-relevant location during the observation of reaching and grasping movements performed at different speeds. Specifically, participants observed videos of an anonymous model performing movements at a slow (i.e., peak velocity [PV]: 155 mm/second), medium (i.e., PV: 547 mm/s), or fast speed (i.e., PV: 955 mm/s). To assess tactile processing, weak electrical stimuli of different amplitudes were presented to participants' right thumbs when the observed model was at their starting position and prior to any movement, or when the observed model's limb reached its PV. When observing slow movements, normalized perceptual thresholds were significantly lower/ better than for the pre-movement stimulation time. These data suggest that the movement speed can modulate tactile processing, even when observing a movement. Further, these findings provide seminal evidence for tactile facilitation at a task-relevant location during the observation of slow reaching and grasping movements (i.e., speeds associated with tactile exploration).
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Affiliation(s)
- Damian M Manzone
- Perceptual Motor Behaviour Laboratory, Centre for Motor Control, Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Luc Tremblay
- Perceptual Motor Behaviour Laboratory, Centre for Motor Control, Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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4
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Savaki HE, Kavroulakis E, Papadaki E, Maris TG, Simos PG. Action Observation Responses Are Influenced by Movement Kinematics and Target Identity. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:490-503. [PMID: 34259867 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to inform the debate whether cortical areas related to action observation provide a pragmatic or a semantic representation of goal-directed actions, we performed 2 functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments in humans. The first experiment, involving observation of aimless arm movements, resulted in activation of most of the components known to support action execution and action observation. Given the absence of a target/goal in this experiment and the activation of parieto-premotor cortical areas, which were associated in the past with direction, amplitude, and velocity of movement of biological effectors, our findings suggest that during action observation we could be monitoring movement kinematics. With the second, double dissociation fMRI experiment, we revealed the components of the observation-related cortical network affected by 1) actions that have the same target/goal but different reaching and grasping kinematics and 2) actions that have very similar kinematics but different targets/goals. We found that certain areas related to action observation, including the mirror neuron ones, are informed about movement kinematics and/or target identity, hence providing a pragmatic rather than a semantic representation of goal-directed actions. Overall, our findings support a process-driven simulation-like mechanism of action understanding, in agreement with the theory of motor cognition, and question motor theories of action concept processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen E Savaki
- Institute of Applied and Computational Mathematics, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Iraklion, Crete 70013, Greece.,Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Crete, Iraklion, Crete 70013, Greece
| | - Eleftherios Kavroulakis
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Crete, Iraklion, Crete 70013, Greece
| | - Efrosini Papadaki
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Crete, Iraklion, Crete 70013, Greece.,Computational Bio-Medicine Laboratory, Institute of Computer Science, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Iraklion, Crete 70013, Greece
| | - Thomas G Maris
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Crete, Iraklion, Crete 70013, Greece.,Computational Bio-Medicine Laboratory, Institute of Computer Science, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Iraklion, Crete 70013, Greece
| | - Panagiotis G Simos
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Crete, Iraklion, Crete 70013, Greece.,Computational Bio-Medicine Laboratory, Institute of Computer Science, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Iraklion, Crete 70013, Greece
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5
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Urgen BA, Orban GA. The unique role of parietal cortex in action observation: Functional organization for communicative and manipulative actions. Neuroimage 2021; 237:118220. [PMID: 34058335 PMCID: PMC8285591 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Action observation is supported by a network of regions in occipito-temporal, parietal, and premotor cortex in primates. Recent research suggests that the parietal node has regions dedicated to different action classes including manipulation, interpersonal interactions, skin displacement, locomotion, and climbing. The goals of the current study consist of: 1) extending this work with new classes of actions that are communicative and specific to humans, 2) investigating how parietal cortex differs from the occipito-temporal and premotor cortex in representing action classes. Human subjects underwent fMRI scanning while observing three action classes: indirect communication, direct communication, and manipulation, plus two types of control stimuli, static controls which were static frames from the video clips, and dynamic controls consisting of temporally-scrambled optic flow information. Using univariate analysis, MVPA, and representational similarity analysis, our study presents several novel findings. First, we provide further evidence for the anatomical segregation in parietal cortex of different action classes: We have found a new site that is specific for representing human-specific indirect communicative actions in cytoarchitectonic parietal area PFt. Second, we found that the discriminability between action classes was higher in parietal cortex than the other two levels suggesting the coding of action identity information at this level. Finally, our results advocate the use of the control stimuli not just for univariate analysis of complex action videos but also when using multivariate techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Burcu A Urgen
- Department of Psychology, Bilkent University, 06800, Bilkent, Ankara, Turkey; Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, Bilkent University, 06800, Bilkent, Ankara, Turkey; National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM) and Aysel Sabuncu Brain Research Center, Bilkent University, 06800, Bilkent, Ankara, Turkey.
| | - Guy A Orban
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Neuroscience Unit, University of Parma, Italy.
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6
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Manzi F, Di Dio C, Di Lernia D, Rossignoli D, Maggioni MA, Massaro D, Marchetti A, Riva G. Can You Activate Me? From Robots to Human Brain. Front Robot AI 2021; 8:633514. [PMID: 33681301 PMCID: PMC7933445 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2021.633514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- F Manzi
- Research Unit on Theory of Mind, Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.,Humane Technology Lab, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.,Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - C Di Dio
- Research Unit on Theory of Mind, Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.,Humane Technology Lab, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.,Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - D Di Lernia
- Humane Technology Lab, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.,Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - D Rossignoli
- Humane Technology Lab, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.,DISEIS, Department of International Economics, Institutions and Development, Universitá Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.,CSCC, Cognitive Science and Communication research Center, Universitá Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - M A Maggioni
- Humane Technology Lab, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.,DISEIS, Department of International Economics, Institutions and Development, Universitá Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.,CSCC, Cognitive Science and Communication research Center, Universitá Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - D Massaro
- Research Unit on Theory of Mind, Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.,Humane Technology Lab, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.,Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - A Marchetti
- Research Unit on Theory of Mind, Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.,Humane Technology Lab, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.,Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - G Riva
- Humane Technology Lab, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.,Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.,Applied Technology for NeuroPsychology Laboratory, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
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7
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Di Cesare G, Vannucci F, Rea F, Sciutti A, Sandini G. How attitudes generated by humanoid robots shape human brain activity. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16928. [PMID: 33037260 PMCID: PMC7547086 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73728-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
During interpersonal interactions, people perform actions with different forms of vitality, communicating their positive or negative attitude toward others. For example, a handshake can be "soft" or "vigorous", a caress can be 'kind' or 'rushed'. While previous studies have shown that the dorso-central insula is a key area for the processing of human vitality forms, there is no information on the perception of vitality forms generated by a humanoid robot. In this study, two fMRI experiments were conducted in order to investigate whether and how the observation of actions generated by a humanoid robot (iCub) with low and fast velocities (Study 1) or replicating gentle and rude human forms (Study 2) may convey vitality forms eliciting the activation of the dorso-central insula. These studies showed that the observation of robotic actions, generated with low and high velocities, resulted in activation of the parieto-frontal circuit typically involved in the recognition and the execution of human actions but not of the insula (Study 1). Most interestingly, the observation of robotic actions, generated by replicating gentle and rude human vitality forms, produced a BOLD signal increase in the dorso-central insula (Study 2). In conclusion, these data highlight the selective role of dorso-central insula in the processing of vitality forms opening future perspectives on the perception and understanding of actions performed by humanoid robots.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Di Cesare
- Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences Unit (RBCS), Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia (IIT), Genoa, Italy.
- Neuroscience Unit, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
- Cognitive Architecture for Collaborative Technologies Unit (CONTACT), Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia (IIT), Genoa, Italy.
| | - F Vannucci
- Cognitive Architecture for Collaborative Technologies Unit (CONTACT), Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia (IIT), Genoa, Italy
| | - F Rea
- Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences Unit (RBCS), Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia (IIT), Genoa, Italy
| | - A Sciutti
- Cognitive Architecture for Collaborative Technologies Unit (CONTACT), Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia (IIT), Genoa, Italy
| | - G Sandini
- Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences Unit (RBCS), Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia (IIT), Genoa, Italy
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8
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Courson M, Tremblay P. Neural correlates of manual action language: Comparative review, ALE meta-analysis and ROI meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 116:221-238. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.06.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2019] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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9
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Sakreida K, Higuchi S, Di Dio C, Ziessler M, Turgeon M, Roberts N, Vogt S. Cognitive Control Structures in the Imitation Learning of Spatial Sequences and Rhythms-An fMRI Study. Cereb Cortex 2019; 28:907-923. [PMID: 28077513 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 12/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Imitation learning involves the acquisition of novel motor patterns based on action observation (AO). We used event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging to study the imitation learning of spatial sequences and rhythms during AO, motor imagery (MI), and imitative execution in nonmusicians and musicians. While both tasks engaged the fronto-parietal mirror circuit, the spatial sequence task recruited posterior parietal and dorsal premotor regions more strongly. The rhythm task involved an additional network for auditory working memory. This partial dissociation supports the concept of task-specific mirror mechanisms. Two regions of cognitive control were identified: 1) dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) was found to be more strongly activated during MI of novel spatial sequences, which allowed us to extend the 2-level model of imitation learning by Buccino et al. (2004) to spatial sequences. 2) During imitative execution of both tasks, the posterior medial frontal cortex was robustly activated, along with the DLPFC, which suggests that both regions are involved in the cognitive control of imitation learning. The musicians' selective behavioral advantage for rhythm imitation was reflected cortically in enhanced sensory-motor processing during AO and by the absence of practice-related activation differences in DLPFC during rhythm execution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Sakreida
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Satomi Higuchi
- Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YF, UK.,Magnetic Resonance and Image Analysis Research Centre, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GE, UK.,Division of Ultrahigh Field MRI, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Iwate Medical University, Morioka, Iwate 020-8505, Japan
| | - Cinzia Di Dio
- Department of Psychology, Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy
| | - Michael Ziessler
- Department of Psychology, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool L16 9JD, UK
| | - Martine Turgeon
- Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire en réadaptation (CRIR), Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux (CIUSSS) du Centre-Est-de-l'Ile-de-Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada H2H 2N8
| | - Neil Roberts
- Clinical Research Imaging Centre (CRIC), School of Clinical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, Scotland, UK
| | - Stefan Vogt
- Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YF, UK.,Magnetic Resonance and Image Analysis Research Centre, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GE, UK
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10
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Urgen BA, Pehlivan S, Saygin AP. Distinct representations in occipito-temporal, parietal, and premotor cortex during action perception revealed by fMRI and computational modeling. Neuropsychologia 2019; 127:35-47. [PMID: 30772426 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Visual processing of actions is supported by a network consisting of occipito-temporal, parietal, and premotor regions in the human brain, known as the Action Observation Network (AON). In the present study, we investigate what aspects of visually perceived actions are represented in this network using fMRI and computational modeling. Human subjects performed an action perception task during scanning. We characterized the different aspects of the stimuli starting from purely visual properties such as form and motion to higher-aspects such as intention using computer vision and categorical modeling. We then linked the models of the stimuli to the three nodes of the AON with representational similarity analysis. Our results show that different nodes of the network represent different aspects of actions. While occipito-temporal cortex performs visual analysis of actions by means of integrating form and motion information, parietal cortex builds on these visual representations and transforms them into more abstract and semantic representations coding target of the action, action type and intention. Taken together, these results shed light on the neuro-computational mechanisms that support visual perception of actions and provide support that AON is a hierarchical system in which increasing levels of the cortex code increasingly complex features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Burcu A Urgen
- Department of Psychology, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey; National Magnetic Resonance Research Center and Aysel Sabuncu Brain Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey; Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey.
| | - Selen Pehlivan
- Department of Computer Engineering, TED University, Ankara, Turkey.
| | - Ayse P Saygin
- Department of Cognitive Science, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Neurosciences Program, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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11
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Parieto-frontal mechanisms underlying observation of complex hand-object manipulation. Sci Rep 2019; 9:348. [PMID: 30674948 PMCID: PMC6344645 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-36640-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 11/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The observation of actions performed by others is believed to activate the Action Observation Network (AON). Previous evidence suggests that subjects with a specific motor skill show increased activation of the AON during observation of the same skill. The question arises regarding which modulation of the AON occurs during observation of novel complex manipulative actions that are beyond the personal motor repertoire. To address this issue, we carried out a functional MRI study in which healthy volunteers without specific hand motor skills observed videos displaying hand-object manipulation executed by an expert with high manual dexterity, by an actor with intermediate ability or by a naïve subject. The results showed that the observation of actions performed by a naïve model produced stronger activation in a dorso-medial parieto-premotor circuit including the superior parietal lobule and dorsal premotor cortex, compared to observation of an expert actor. Functional connectivity analysis comparing the observation of the naïve model with that of the expert model, revealed increased connectivity between dorsal areas of the AON. This suggests a possible distinction between ventral and dorsal brain circuits involved in the processing of different aspects of action perception, such as kinematics and final action goal.
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12
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Kawai Y, Nagai Y, Asada M. Prediction Error in the PMd As a Criterion for Biological Motion Discrimination: A Computational Account. IEEE Trans Cogn Dev Syst 2018. [DOI: 10.1109/tcds.2017.2668446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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13
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Abstract
The mirror mechanism is a basic mechanism that transforms sensory representations of others' actions into motor representations of the same actions in the brain of the observer. The mirror mechanism plays an important role in understanding actions of others. In the present chapter we discuss first the basic organization of the posterior parietal lobe in the monkey, stressing that it is best characterized as a motor scaffold, on the top of which sensory information is organized. We then describe the location of the mirror mechanism in the posterior parietal cortex of the monkey, and its functional role in areas PFG, and anterior, ventral, and lateral intraparietal areas. We will then present evidence that a similar functional organization is present in humans. We will conclude by discussing the role of the mirror mechanism in the recognition of action performed with tools.
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14
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Pozzo T, Inuggi A, Keuroghlanian A, Panzeri S, Saunier G, Campus C. Natural Translating Locomotion Modulates Cortical Activity at Action Observation. Front Syst Neurosci 2017; 11:83. [PMID: 29163078 PMCID: PMC5681993 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2017.00083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study verified if the translational component of locomotion modulated cortical activity recorded at action observation. Previous studies focusing on visual processing of biological motion mainly presented point light walker that were fixed on a spot, thus removing the net translation toward a goal that yet remains a critical feature of locomotor behavior. We hypothesized that if biological motion recognition relies on the transformation of seeing in doing and its expected sensory consequences, a significant effect of translation compared to centered displays on sensorimotor cortical activity is expected. To this aim, we explored whether EEG activity in the theta (4–8 Hz), alpha (8–12 Hz), beta 1 (14–20 Hz) and beta 2 (20–32 Hz) frequency bands exhibited selectivity as participants viewed four types of stimuli: a centered walker, a centered scrambled, a translating walker and a translating scrambled. We found higher theta synchronizations for observed stimulus with familiar shape. Higher power decreases in the beta 1 and beta 2 bands, indicating a stronger motor resonance was elicited by translating compared to centered stimuli. Finally, beta bands modulation in Superior Parietal areas showed that the translational component of locomotion induced greater motor resonance than human shape. Using a Multinomial Logistic Regression classifier we found that Dorsal-Parietal and Inferior-Frontal regions of interest (ROIs), constituting the core of action-observation system, were the only areas capable to discriminate all the four conditions, as reflected by beta activities. Our findings suggest that the embodiment elicited by an observed scenario is strongly mediated by horizontal body displacement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thierry Pozzo
- Centro di Neurofisiologia Traslazionale, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Ferrara, Italy.,INSERM-U1093, CAPS, Campus Universitaire, Dijon, France
| | - Alberto Inuggi
- Unit of Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Alejo Keuroghlanian
- Unit of Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Stefano Panzeri
- Laboratory of Neural Computation, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, University of Trento, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Ghislain Saunier
- Laboratorio de Cognição Motora, Departamento de Anatomia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brasil
| | - Claudio Campus
- U-VIP Unit for Visually Impaired People, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
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15
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Di Cesare G, Errante A, Marchi M, Cuccio V. Language for action: Motor resonance during the processing of human and robotic voices. Brain Cogn 2017; 118:118-127. [PMID: 28829994 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2017.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2016] [Revised: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 08/04/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
In this fMRI study we evaluated whether the auditory processing of action verbs pronounced by a human or a robotic voice in the imperative mood differently modulates the activation of the mirror neuron system (MNs). The study produced three results. First, the activation pattern found during listening to action verbs was very similar in both the robot and human conditions. Second, the processing of action verbs compared to abstract verbs determined the activation of the fronto-parietal circuit classically involved during the action goal understanding. Third, and most importantly, listening to action verbs compared to abstract verbs produced activation of the anterior part of the supramarginal gyrus (aSMG) regardless of the condition (human and robot) and in the absence of any object name. The supramarginal gyrus is a region considered to underpin hand-object interaction and associated to the processing of affordances. These results suggest that listening to action verbs may trigger the recruitment of motor representations characterizing affordances and action execution, coherently with the predictive nature of motor simulation that not only allows us to re-enact motor knowledge to understand others' actions but also prepares us for the actions we might need to carry out.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Di Cesare
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Department of Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences (RBCS), Genova, Italy; University of Parma, Department of Neuroscience, via Volturno 39/E, 43100 Parma, Italy
| | - A Errante
- University of Parma, Department of Neuroscience, via Volturno 39/E, 43100 Parma, Italy
| | - M Marchi
- University of Milan, Department of Computer Science, Via Comelico 39/41, 20135 Milan, Italy
| | - V Cuccio
- University of Parma, Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Industries, via Massimo D'Azeglio 85, 43125 Parma, Italy.
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16
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Affordance processing in segregated parieto-frontal dorsal stream sub-pathways. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 69:89-112. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.07.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2015] [Revised: 05/29/2016] [Accepted: 07/07/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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17
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Hayes SJ, Andrew M, Elliott D, Gowen E, Bennett SJ. Low Fidelity Imitation of Atypical Biological Kinematics in Autism Spectrum Disorders Is Modulated by Self-Generated Selective Attention. J Autism Dev Disord 2016; 46:502-13. [PMID: 26349922 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-015-2588-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We examined whether adults with autism had difficulty imitating atypical biological kinematics. To reduce the impact that higher-order processes have on imitation we used a non-human agent model to control social attention, and removed end-state target goals in half of the trials to minimise goal-directed attention. Findings showed that only neurotypical adults imitated atypical biological kinematics. Adults with autism did, however, become significantly more accurate at imitating movement time. This confirmed they engaged in the task, and that sensorimotor adaptation was self-regulated. The attentional bias to movement time suggests the attenuation in imitating kinematics might be a compensatory strategy due to deficits in lower-level visuomotor processes associated with self-other mapping, or selective attention modulated the processes that represent biological kinematics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer J Hayes
- Brain and Behaviour Laboratory, Faculty of Science, Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK.
| | - Matthew Andrew
- Brain and Behaviour Laboratory, Faculty of Science, Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK
| | - Digby Elliott
- Brain and Behaviour Laboratory, Faculty of Science, Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK.,Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Emma Gowen
- Faculty of Life Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Simon J Bennett
- Brain and Behaviour Laboratory, Faculty of Science, Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK
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18
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Di Cesare G, Valente G, Di Dio C, Ruffaldi E, Bergamasco M, Goebel R, Rizzolatti G. Vitality Forms Processing in the Insula during Action Observation: A Multivoxel Pattern Analysis. Front Hum Neurosci 2016; 10:267. [PMID: 27375461 PMCID: PMC4899476 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2016] [Accepted: 05/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Observing the style of an action done by others allows the observer to understand the cognitive state of the agent. This information has been defined by Stern "vitality forms". Previous experiments showed that the dorso-central insula is selectively active both during vitality form observation and execution. In the present study, we presented participants with videos showing hand actions performed with different velocities and asked them to judge either their vitality form (gentle, neutral, rude) or their velocity (slow, medium, fast). The aim of the present study was to assess, using multi-voxel pattern analysis, whether vitality forms and velocities of observed goal-directed actions are differentially processed in the insula, and more specifically whether action velocity is encoded per se or it is an element that triggers neural populations of the insula encoding the vitality form. The results showed that, consistently across subjects, in the dorso-central sector of the insula there were voxels selectively tuned to vitality forms, while voxel tuned to velocity were rare. These results indicate that the dorso-central insula, which previous data showed to be involved in the vitality form processing, contains voxels specific for the action style processing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Giancarlo Valente
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Cinzia Di Dio
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Milan, Italy
| | - Emanuele Ruffaldi
- The Laboratory of Perceptual Robotics (PERCRO), Institute of Communication, Information and Perception Technologies (TeCIP), Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna Pisa, Italy
| | - Massimo Bergamasco
- The Laboratory of Perceptual Robotics (PERCRO), Institute of Communication, Information and Perception Technologies (TeCIP), Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna Pisa, Italy
| | - Rainer Goebel
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Giacomo Rizzolatti
- Department of Neuroscience, University of ParmaParma, Italy; Brain Center for Social and Motor Cognition, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT)Parma, Italy; Istituto di Neuroscienze, Consiglio nazionale delle RicercheParma, Italy
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19
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Hayes SJ, Dutoy CA, Elliott D, Gowen E, Bennett SJ. Atypical biological motion kinematics are represented by complementary lower-level and top-down processes during imitation learning. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2016; 163:10-6. [PMID: 26587962 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2015.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2014] [Revised: 08/24/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Learning a novel movement requires a new set of kinematics to be represented by the sensorimotor system. This is often accomplished through imitation learning where lower-level sensorimotor processes are suggested to represent the biological motion kinematics associated with an observed movement. Top-down factors have the potential to influence this process based on the social context, attention and salience, and the goal of the movement. In order to further examine the potential interaction between lower-level and top-down processes in imitation learning, the aim of this study was to systematically control the mediating effects during an imitation of biological motion protocol. In this protocol, we used non-human agent models that displayed different novel atypical biological motion kinematics, as well as a control model that displayed constant velocity. Importantly the three models had the same movement amplitude and movement time. Also, the motion kinematics were displayed in the presence, or absence, of end-state-targets. Kinematic analyses showed atypical biological motion kinematics were imitated, and that this performance was different from the constant velocity control condition. Although the imitation of atypical biological motion kinematics was not modulated by the end-state-targets, movement time was more accurate in the absence, compared to the presence, of an end-state-target. The fact that end-state targets modulated movement time accuracy, but not biological motion kinematics, indicates imitation learning involves top-down attentional, and lower-level sensorimotor systems, which operate as complementary processes mediated by the environmental context.
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20
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Cebolla A, Cheron G. Sensorimotor and cognitive involvement of the beta–gamma oscillation in the frontal N30 component of somatosensory evoked potentials. Neuropsychologia 2015; 79:215-22. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.04.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2014] [Revised: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 04/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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21
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The neural basis of hand gesture comprehension: A meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 57:88-104. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2015] [Revised: 07/13/2015] [Accepted: 08/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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22
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Marty B, Bourguignon M, Jousmäki V, Wens V, Op de Beeck M, Van Bogaert P, Goldman S, Hari R, De Tiège X. Cortical kinematic processing of executed and observed goal-directed hand actions. Neuroimage 2015; 119:221-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.06.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2015] [Revised: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 06/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
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23
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Cevallos C, Zarka D, Hoellinger T, Leroy A, Dan B, Cheron G. Oscillations in the human brain during walking execution, imagination and observation. Neuropsychologia 2015; 79:223-32. [PMID: 26164473 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.06.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2015] [Revised: 06/19/2015] [Accepted: 06/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Gait is an essential human activity which organizes many functional and cognitive behaviors. The biomechanical constraints of bipedalism implicating a permanent control of balance during gait are taken into account by a complex dialog between the cortical, subcortical and spinal networks. This networking is largely based on oscillatory coding, including changes in spectral power and phase-locking of ongoing neural activity in theta, alpha, beta and gamma frequency bands. This coding is specifically modulated in actual gait execution and representation, as well as in contexts of gait observation or imagination. A main challenge in integrative neuroscience oscillatory activity analysis is to disentangle the brain oscillations devoted to gait control. In addition to neuroimaging approaches, which have highlighted the structural components of an extended network, dynamic high-density EEG gives non-invasive access to functioning of this network. Here we revisit the neurophysiological foundations of behavior-related EEG in the light of current neuropsychological theoretic frameworks. We review different EEG rhythms emerging in the most informative paradigms relating to human gait and implications for rehabilitation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Cevallos
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, ULB Neuroscience Institut, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP 640, 50 Avenue Franklin Rooseveltlaan, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - D Zarka
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, ULB Neuroscience Institut, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP 640, 50 Avenue Franklin Rooseveltlaan, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - T Hoellinger
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, ULB Neuroscience Institut, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP 640, 50 Avenue Franklin Rooseveltlaan, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - A Leroy
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, ULB Neuroscience Institut, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP 640, 50 Avenue Franklin Rooseveltlaan, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; Haute Ecole Condorcet, Charleroi, Belgium
| | - B Dan
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, ULB Neuroscience Institut, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP 640, 50 Avenue Franklin Rooseveltlaan, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; Department of Neurology, Hopital Universitaire des Enfants reine Fabiola, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - G Cheron
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, ULB Neuroscience Institut, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP 640, 50 Avenue Franklin Rooseveltlaan, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; Laboratory of Electrophysiology, Université de Mons-Hainaut, Belgium.
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24
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Ferri S, Rizzolatti G, Orban GA. The organization of the posterior parietal cortex devoted to upper limb actions: An fMRI study. Hum Brain Mapp 2015; 36:3845-66. [PMID: 26129732 PMCID: PMC5008173 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2015] [Revised: 06/03/2015] [Accepted: 06/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The present fMRI study examined whether upper-limb action classes differing in their motor goal are encoded by different PPC sectors. Action observation was used as a proxy for action execution. Subjects viewed actors performing object-related (e.g., grasping), skin-displacing (e.g., rubbing the skin), and interpersonal upper limb actions (e.g., pushing someone). Observation of the three action classes activated a three-level network including occipito-temporal, parietal, and premotor cortex. The parietal region common to observing all three action classes was located dorsally to the left intraparietal sulcus (DIPSM/DIPSA border). Regions specific for observing an action class were obtained by combining the interaction between observing action classes and stimulus types with exclusive masking for observing the other classes, while for regions considered preferentially active for a class the interaction was exclusively masked with the regions common to all observed actions. Left putative human anterior intraparietal was specific for observing manipulative actions, and left parietal operculum including putative human SII region, specific for observing skin-displacing actions. Control experiments demonstrated that this latter activation depended on seeing the skin being moved and not simply on seeing touch. Psychophysiological interactions showed that the two specific parietal regions had similar connectivities. Finally, observing interpersonal actions preferentially activated a dorsal sector of left DIPSA, possibly the homologue of ventral intraparietal coding the impingement of the target person's body into the peripersonal space of the actor. These results support the importance of segregation according to the action class as principle of posterior parietal cortex organization for action observation and by implication for action execution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Ferri
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Giacomo Rizzolatti
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.,Brain Center for Social and Motor Cognition, Italian Institute of Technology, Parma, Italy
| | - Guy A Orban
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
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25
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Abstract
The short-lasting attenuation of brain oscillations is termed event-related desynchronization (ERD). It is frequently found in the alpha and beta bands in humans during generation, observation, and imagery of movement and is considered to reflect cortical motor activity and action-perception coupling. The shared information driving ERD in all these motor-related behaviors is unknown. We investigated whether particular laws governing production and perception of curved movement may account for the attenuation of alpha and beta rhythms. Human movement appears to be governed by relatively few kinematic laws of motion. One dominant law in biological motion kinematics is the 2/3 power law (PL), which imposes a strong dependency of movement speed on curvature and is prominent in action-perception coupling. Here we directly examined whether the 2/3 PL elicits ERD during motion observation by characterizing the spatiotemporal signature of ERD. ERDs were measured while human subjects observed a cloud of dots moving along elliptical trajectories either complying with or violating the 2/3 PL. We found that ERD within both frequency bands was consistently stronger, arose faster, and was more widespread while observing motion obeying the 2/3 PL. An activity pattern showing clear 2/3 PL preference and lying within the alpha band was observed exclusively above central motor areas, whereas 2/3 PL preference in the beta band was observed in additional prefrontal-central cortical sites. Our findings reveal that compliance with the 2/3 PL is sufficient to elicit a selective ERD response in the human brain.
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26
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Zarka D, Cevallos C, Petieau M, Hoellinger T, Dan B, Cheron G. Neural rhythmic symphony of human walking observation: Upside-down and Uncoordinated condition on cortical theta, alpha, beta and gamma oscillations. Front Syst Neurosci 2014; 8:169. [PMID: 25278847 PMCID: PMC4166901 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2014.00169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2014] [Accepted: 08/31/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological motion observation has been recognized to produce dynamic change in sensorimotor activation according to the observed kinematics. Physical plausibility of the spatial-kinematic relationship of human movement may play a major role in the top-down processing of human motion recognition. Here, we investigated the time course of scalp activation during observation of human gait in order to extract and use it on future integrated brain-computer interface using virtual reality (VR). We analyzed event related potentials (ERP), the event related spectral perturbation (ERSP) and the inter-trial coherence (ITC) from high-density EEG recording during video display onset (−200–600 ms) and the steady state visual evoked potentials (SSVEP) inside the video of human walking 3D-animation in three conditions: Normal; Upside-down (inverted images); and Uncoordinated (pseudo-randomly mixed images). We found that early visual evoked response P120 was decreased in Upside-down condition. The N170 and P300b amplitudes were decreased in Uncoordinated condition. In Upside-down and Uncoordinated conditions, we found decreased alpha power and theta phase-locking. As regards gamma oscillation, power was increased during the Upside-down animation and decreased during the Uncoordinated animation. An SSVEP-like response oscillating at about 10 Hz was also described showing that the oscillating pattern is enhanced 300 ms after the heel strike event only in the Normal but not in the Upside-down condition. Our results are consistent with most of previous point-light display studies, further supporting possible use of virtual reality for neurofeedback applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Zarka
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Université Libre de Bruxelles Brussels, Belgium
| | - Carlos Cevallos
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Université Libre de Bruxelles Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mathieu Petieau
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Université Libre de Bruxelles Brussels, Belgium
| | - Thomas Hoellinger
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Université Libre de Bruxelles Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bernard Dan
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Université Libre de Bruxelles Brussels, Belgium ; Department of Neurology, Hopital Universitaire des Enfants reine Fabiola, Université Libre de Bruxelles Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Guy Cheron
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Université Libre de Bruxelles Brussels, Belgium ; Laboratory of Electrophysiology, Université de Mons-Hainaut Bruxelles, Belgium
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27
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Rizzolatti G, Cattaneo L, Fabbri-Destro M, Rozzi S. Cortical Mechanisms Underlying the Organization of Goal-Directed Actions and Mirror Neuron-Based Action Understanding. Physiol Rev 2014; 94:655-706. [PMID: 24692357 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00009.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 285] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of the functions of motor system evolved remarkably in the last 20 years. This is the consequence not only of an increase in the amount of data on this system but especially of a paradigm shift in our conceptualization of it. Motor system is not considered anymore just a “producer” of movements, as it was in the past, but a system crucially involved in cognitive functions. In the present study we review the data on the cortical organization underlying goal-directed actions and action understanding. Our review is subdivided into two major parts. In the first part, we review the anatomical and functional organization of the premotor and parietal areas of monkeys and humans. We show that the parietal and frontal areas form circuits devoted to specific motor functions. We discuss, in particular, the visuo-motor transformation necessary for reaching and for grasping. In the second part we show how a specific neural mechanism, the mirror mechanism, is involved in understanding the action and intention of others. This mechanism is located in the same parieto-frontal circuits that mediate goal-directed actions. We conclude by indicating future directions for studies on the mirror mechanism and suggest some major topics for forthcoming research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Rizzolatti
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Parma, Parma, Italy; Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy; and Brain Center for Motor and Social Cognition, Italian Institute of Technology, Parma, Italy
| | - Luigi Cattaneo
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Parma, Parma, Italy; Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy; and Brain Center for Motor and Social Cognition, Italian Institute of Technology, Parma, Italy
| | - Maddalena Fabbri-Destro
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Parma, Parma, Italy; Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy; and Brain Center for Motor and Social Cognition, Italian Institute of Technology, Parma, Italy
| | - Stefano Rozzi
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Parma, Parma, Italy; Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy; and Brain Center for Motor and Social Cognition, Italian Institute of Technology, Parma, Italy
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28
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Raos V, Kilintari M, Savaki HE. Viewing a forelimb induces widespread cortical activations. Neuroimage 2014; 89:122-42. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2013] [Revised: 11/06/2013] [Accepted: 12/08/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
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29
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Cebolla AM, Palmero-Soler E, Dan B, Cheron G. Modulation of the N30 generators of the somatosensory evoked potentials by the mirror neuron system. Neuroimage 2014; 95:48-60. [PMID: 24662578 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.03.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2013] [Revised: 03/10/2014] [Accepted: 03/13/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The N30 component of the somatosensory evoked potential is known to be modulated by sensory interference, motor action, movement ideation and observation. We introduce a new paradigm in which the observation task of another person's hand movement triggers the somatosensory stimulus, inducing the N30 response in participants. In order to identify the possible contribution of the mirror neuron network (MNN) to this early sensorimotor processing, we analyzed the N30 topography, the event-related spectral perturbation and the inter-trial coherence on single electroencephalogram (EEG) trials, and we applied swLORETA to localize the N30 sources implicated in the time-frequency domain at rest and during observation, as well as the generators differentiating these two contextual brain states. We found that N30 amplitude increase correlated with increased contralateral precentral alpha, frontal beta, and contralateral frontal gamma power spectrum, and with central and precentral alpha and parietal beta phase-locking of ongoing EEG signals. We demonstrate specific activation of the contralateral post-central and parietal cortex where the angular gyrus (BA39), an important MNN node, is implicated in this enhancement during observation. We conclude that this part of the MNN, involved in proprioceptive processing and more complex body-action representations, is already active prior to somatosensory input and may enhance N30.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Cebolla
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics (L.N.M.B.), Neuroscience Institut (U.N.I.), Université Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.), Brussels, Belgium
| | - E Palmero-Soler
- Laboratory of Electrophysiology, Université de Mons (UMons), Belgium
| | - B Dan
- Department of Neurology, Hopital Universitaire des Enfants reine Fabiola, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - G Cheron
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics (L.N.M.B.), Neuroscience Institut (U.N.I.), Université Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.), Brussels, Belgium; Laboratory of Electrophysiology, Université de Mons (UMons), Belgium.
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30
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Su YH. Peak velocity as a cue in audiovisual synchrony perception of rhythmic stimuli. Cognition 2014; 131:330-44. [PMID: 24632323 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2014.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2013] [Revised: 02/05/2014] [Accepted: 02/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated audiovisual synchrony perception in a rhythmic context, where the sound was not consequent upon the observed movement. Participants judged synchrony between a bouncing point-light figure and an auditory rhythm in two experiments. Two questions were of interest: (1) whether the reference in the visual movement, with which the auditory beat should coincide, relies on a position or a velocity cue; (2) whether the figure form and motion profile affect synchrony perception. Experiment 1 required synchrony judgment with regard to the same (lowest) position of the movement in four visual conditions: two figure forms (human or non-human) combined with two motion profiles (human or ball trajectory). Whereas figure form did not affect synchrony perception, the point of subjective simultaneity differed between the two motions, suggesting that participants adopted the peak velocity in each downward trajectory as their visual reference. Experiment 2 further demonstrated that, when judgment was required with regard to the highest position, the maximal synchrony response was considerably low for ball motion, which lacked a peak velocity in the upward trajectory. The finding of peak velocity as a cue parallels results of visuomotor synchronization tasks employing biological stimuli, suggesting that synchrony judgment with rhythmic motions relies on the perceived visual beat.
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31
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Modroño C, Navarrete G, Rodríguez-Hernández AF, González-Mora JL. Activation of the human mirror neuron system during the observation of the manipulation of virtual tools in the absence of a visible effector limb. Neurosci Lett 2013; 555:220-4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2013.09.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2013] [Revised: 08/29/2013] [Accepted: 09/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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32
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Eaves DL, Turgeon M, Vogt S. Automatic imitation in rhythmical actions: kinematic fidelity and the effects of compatibility, delay, and visual monitoring. PLoS One 2012; 7:e46728. [PMID: 23071623 PMCID: PMC3465264 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0046728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2012] [Accepted: 09/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We demonstrate that observation of everyday rhythmical actions biases subsequent motor execution of the same and of different actions, using a paradigm where the observed actions were irrelevant for action execution. The cycle time of the distractor actions was subtly manipulated across trials, and the cycle time of motor responses served as the main dependent measure. Although distractor frequencies reliably biased response cycle times, this imitation bias was only a small fraction of the modulations in distractor speed, as well as of the modulations produced when participants intentionally imitated the observed rhythms. Importantly, this bias was not only present for compatible actions, but was also found, though numerically reduced, when distractor and executed actions were different (e.g., tooth brushing vs. window wiping), or when the dominant plane of movement was different (horizontal vs. vertical). In addition, these effects were equally pronounced for execution at 0, 4, and 8 s after action observation, a finding that contrasts with the more short-lived effects reported in earlier studies. The imitation bias was also unaffected when vision of the hand was occluded during execution, indicating that this effect most likely resulted from visuomotor interactions during distractor observation, rather than from visual monitoring and guidance during execution. Finally, when the distractor was incompatible in both dimensions (action type and plane) the imitation bias was not reduced further, in an additive way, relative to the single-incompatible conditions. This points to a mechanism whereby the observed action's impact on motor processing is generally reduced whenever this is not useful for motor planning. We interpret these findings in the framework of biased competition, where intended and distractor actions can be represented as competing and quasi-encapsulated sensorimotor streams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel L. Eaves
- Sport and Exercise Science Section, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, United Kingdom
- Centre for Research in Human Development and Learning, Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (DLE); (MT); (SV)
| | - Martine Turgeon
- Centre for Research in Human Development and Learning, Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (DLE); (MT); (SV)
| | - Stefan Vogt
- Centre for Research in Human Development and Learning, Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (DLE); (MT); (SV)
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