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Pacella V, Nozais V, Talozzi L, Abdallah M, Wassermann D, Forkel SJ, Thiebaut de Schotten M. The morphospace of the brain-cognition organisation. Nat Commun 2024; 15:8452. [PMID: 39349446 PMCID: PMC11443123 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-52186-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2024] [Indexed: 10/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Over the past three decades, functional neuroimaging has amassed abundant evidence of the intricate interplay between brain structure and function. However, the potential anatomical and experimental overlap, independence, granularity, and gaps between functions remain poorly understood. Here, we show the latent structure of the current brain-cognition knowledge and its organisation. Our approach utilises the most comprehensive meta-analytic fMRI database (Neurosynth) to compute a three-dimensional embedding space-morphospace capturing the relationship between brain functions as we currently understand them. The space structure enables us to statistically test the relationship between functions expressed as the degree to which the characteristics of each functional map can be anticipated based on its similarities with others-the predictability index. The morphospace can also predict the activation pattern of new, unseen functions and decode thoughts and inner states during movie watching. The framework defined by the morphospace will spur the investigation of novel functions and guide the exploration of the fabric of human cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Pacella
- IUSS Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON) Center, Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, Pavia, Italy.
- Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives-UMR 5293, CNRS, CEA, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
- Brain Connectivity and Behaviour Laboratory, Paris, France.
| | - Victor Nozais
- Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives-UMR 5293, CNRS, CEA, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- Brain Connectivity and Behaviour Laboratory, Paris, France
| | - Lia Talozzi
- Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives-UMR 5293, CNRS, CEA, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- Brain Connectivity and Behaviour Laboratory, Paris, France
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Majd Abdallah
- Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives-UMR 5293, CNRS, CEA, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- Brain Connectivity and Behaviour Laboratory, Paris, France
- MIND team, Inria Saclay Île-de-France, Université Paris-Saclay, 1 Rue Honoré d'Estienne d'Orves, Palaiseau, Ile-de-France, France
- Neurospin, CEA, Gif-sur-Yvette, Ile-de-France, France
| | - Demian Wassermann
- MIND team, Inria Saclay Île-de-France, Université Paris-Saclay, 1 Rue Honoré d'Estienne d'Orves, Palaiseau, Ile-de-France, France
- Neurospin, CEA, Gif-sur-Yvette, Ile-de-France, France
| | - Stephanie J Forkel
- Brain Connectivity and Behaviour Laboratory, Paris, France
- Donders Centre for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Thomas van Aquinostraat 4, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, 6525 XD, Nijmegen, Wundtlaan 1, the Netherlands
| | - Michel Thiebaut de Schotten
- Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives-UMR 5293, CNRS, CEA, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
- Brain Connectivity and Behaviour Laboratory, Paris, France.
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Shamsi F, Aligholi H, Karimi MT, Borhani-Haghighi A, Nami M. Quantitative EEG for the Monitoring of Walking Recovery in Chronic Stroke Patients Receiving Action Observation Training. J Mot Behav 2024; 56:428-438. [PMID: 38408745 DOI: 10.1080/00222895.2024.2320904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
The current study aimed to evaluate the effects of action observation on the walking ability and oscillatory brain activity of chronic stroke patients. Fourteen chronic stroke patients were allocated randomly to the action observation (AO) or sham observation (SO) groups. Both groups received 12 sessions of intervention. Each session composed of 12 min of observational training, which depicted exercises for the experimental group but nature pictures for the sham group and 40 min of occupational therapy, which was the same for the both groups. Walking ability was assessed by a motion analysis system and brain activity was monitored using quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) before and after the intervention. Brain asymmetry at alpha frequency, the percentage of stance phase, and step length showed significant changes in the AO group. Only the change in global alpha power was significantly correlated with the change in velocity after the intervention in AO group. Despite more improvements in walking and brain activity of patients in the AO group, our study failed to show significant correlations between the brain activity changes and functional improvements after the intervention, which might be mainly due to the small sample size in our study. Trial registration: IRCT20181014041333N1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Shamsi
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
- Neuroscience Laboratory (Brain, Cognition and Behavior), Department of Neuroscience, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Hadi Aligholi
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
- Neuroscience Laboratory (Brain, Cognition and Behavior), Department of Neuroscience, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Taghi Karimi
- Rehabilitation Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | | | - Mohammad Nami
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
- Neuroscience Laboratory (Brain, Cognition and Behavior), Department of Neuroscience, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
- Neuroscience Center, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas Servicios de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT AIP), City of Knowledge, Panama City, Panama
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Tariciotti L, Mattioli L, Viganò L, Gallo M, Gambaretti M, Sciortino T, Gay L, Conti Nibali M, Gallotti A, Cerri G, Bello L, Rossi M. Object-oriented hand dexterity and grasping abilities, from the animal quarters to the neurosurgical OR: a systematic review of the underlying neural correlates in non-human, human primate and recent findings in awake brain surgery. Front Integr Neurosci 2024; 18:1324581. [PMID: 38425673 PMCID: PMC10902498 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2024.1324581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The sensorimotor integrations subserving object-oriented manipulative actions have been extensively investigated in non-human primates via direct approaches, as intracortical micro-stimulation (ICMS), cytoarchitectonic analysis and anatomical tracers. However, the understanding of the mechanisms underlying complex motor behaviors is yet to be fully integrated in brain mapping paradigms and the consistency of these findings with intraoperative data obtained during awake neurosurgical procedures for brain tumor removal is still largely unexplored. Accordingly, there is a paucity of systematic studies reviewing the cross-species analogies in neural activities during object-oriented hand motor tasks in primates and investigating the concordance with intraoperative findings during brain mapping. The current systematic review was designed to summarize the cortical and subcortical neural correlates of object-oriented fine hand actions, as revealed by fMRI and PET studies, in non-human and human primates and how those were translated into neurosurgical studies testing dexterous hand-movements during intraoperative brain mapping. Methods A systematic literature review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science databases were searched. Original articles were included if they: (1) investigated cortical activation sites on fMRI and/or PET during grasping task; (2) included humans or non-human primates. A second query was designed on the databases above to collect studies reporting motor, hand manipulation and dexterity tasks for intraoperative brain mapping in patients undergoing awake brain surgery for any condition. Due to the heterogeneity in neurosurgical applications, a qualitative synthesis was deemed more appropriate. Results We provided an updated overview of the current state of the art in translational neuroscience about the extended frontoparietal grasping-praxis network with a specific focus on the comparative functioning in non-human primates, healthy humans and how the latter knowledge has been implemented in the neurosurgical operating room during brain tumor resection. Discussion The anatomical and functional correlates we reviewed confirmed the evolutionary continuum from monkeys to humans, allowing a cautious but practical adoption of such evidence in intraoperative brain mapping protocols. Integrating the previous results in the surgical practice helps preserve complex motor abilities, prevent long-term disability and poor quality of life and allow the maximal safe resection of intrinsic brain tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Tariciotti
- Neurosurgical Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Mattioli
- Neurosurgical Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Viganò
- Neurosurgical Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Gallo
- Neurosurgical Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Gambaretti
- Neurosurgical Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Tommaso Sciortino
- Neurosurgical Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Gay
- Neurosurgical Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Conti Nibali
- Neurosurgical Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Alberto Gallotti
- Neurosurgical Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Gabriella Cerri
- MoCA Laboratory, Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Bello
- Neurosurgical Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Rossi
- Neurosurgical Oncology Unit, Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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McLeod J, Chavan A, Lee H, Sattari S, Kurry S, Wake M, Janmohamed Z, Hodges NJ, Virji-Babul N. Distinct Effects of Brain Activation Using tDCS and Observational Practice: Implications for Motor Rehabilitation. Brain Sci 2024; 14:175. [PMID: 38391749 PMCID: PMC10886768 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14020175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Complex motor skills can be acquired while observing a model without physical practice. Transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) applied to the primary motor cortex (M1) also facilitates motor learning. However, the effectiveness of observational practice for bimanual coordination skills is debated. We compared the behavioural and brain causal connectivity patterns following three interventions: primary motor cortex stimulation (M1-tDCS), action-observation (AO) and a combined group (AO+M1-tDCS) when acquiring a bimanual, two-ball juggling skill. Thirty healthy young adults with no juggling experience were randomly assigned to either video observation of a skilled juggler, anodal M1-tDCS or video observation combined with M1-tDCS. Thirty trials of juggling were performed and scored after the intervention. Resting-state EEG data were collected before and after the intervention. Information flow rate was applied to EEG source data to measure causal connectivity. The two observation groups were more accurate than the tDCS alone group. In the AO condition, there was strong information exchange from (L) parietal to (R) parietal regions, strong bidirectional information exchange between (R) parietal and (R) occipital regions and an extensive network of activity that was (L) lateralized. The M1-tDCS condition was characterized by bilateral long-range connections with the strongest information exchange from the (R) occipital region to the (R) temporal and (L) occipital regions. AO+M1-tDCS induced strong bidirectional information exchange in occipital and temporal regions in both hemispheres. Uniquely, it was the only condition that was characterized by information exchange between the (R) frontal and central regions. This study provides new results about the distinct network dynamics of stimulating the brain for skill acquisition, providing insights for motor rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julianne McLeod
- Rehabilitation Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Anuj Chavan
- Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering, Sardar Patel Institute of Technology, Mumbai 400058, India
| | - Harvey Lee
- Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Sahar Sattari
- Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science and Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B9, Canada
| | - Simrut Kurry
- Neuroscience, Faculty of Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Miku Wake
- Neuroscience, Faculty of Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Zia Janmohamed
- Neuroscience, Faculty of Science, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Nicola Jane Hodges
- School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Naznin Virji-Babul
- Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
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Bosco A, Sanz Diez P, Filippini M, De Vitis M, Fattori P. A focus on the multiple interfaces between action and perception and their neural correlates. Neuropsychologia 2023; 191:108722. [PMID: 37931747 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Successful behaviour relies on the appropriate interplay between action and perception. The well-established dorsal and ventral stream theories depicted two distinct functional pathways for the processes of action and perception, respectively. In physiological conditions, the two pathways closely cooperate in order to produce successful adaptive behaviour. As the coupling between perception and action exists, this requires an interface that is responsible for a common reading of the two functions. Several studies have proposed different types of perception and action interfaces, suggesting their role in the creation of the shared interaction channel. In the present review, we describe three possible perception and action interfaces: i) the motor code, including common coding approaches, ii) attention, and iii) object affordance; we highlight their potential neural correlates. From this overview, a recurrent neural substrate that underlies all these interface functions appears to be crucial: the parieto-frontal circuit. This network is involved in the mirror mechanism which underlies the perception and action interfaces identified as common coding and motor code theories. The same network is also involved in the spotlight of attention and in the encoding of potential action towards objects; these are manifested in the perception and action interfaces for common attention and object affordance, respectively. Within this framework, most studies were dedicated to the description of the role of the inferior parietal lobule; growing evidence, however, suggests that the superior parietal lobule also plays a crucial role in the interplay between action and perception. The present review proposes a novel model that is inclusive of the superior parietal regions and their relative contribution to the different action and perception interfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Bosco
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Piazza di Porta San Donato 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy; Alma Mater Research Institute For Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (Alma Human AI), University of Bologna, Via Galliera 3 Bologna, 40121, Bologna, Italy.
| | - P Sanz Diez
- Carl Zeiss Vision International GmbH, Turnstrasse 27, 73430, Aalen, Germany; Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Straße 7, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - M Filippini
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Piazza di Porta San Donato 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy; Alma Mater Research Institute For Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (Alma Human AI), University of Bologna, Via Galliera 3 Bologna, 40121, Bologna, Italy
| | - M De Vitis
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Piazza di Porta San Donato 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - P Fattori
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Piazza di Porta San Donato 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy; Alma Mater Research Institute For Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (Alma Human AI), University of Bologna, Via Galliera 3 Bologna, 40121, Bologna, Italy
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Heurley LP, Harrak MH, Guerineau R, Ferrier LP, Morgado N. The visual size is enough to automatically induce the potentiation of grasping behaviours. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2023; 76:2749-2759. [PMID: 36718810 DOI: 10.1177/17470218231155836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Seeing objects usually grasped with a power or a precision grip (e.g., an apple vs a cherry) potentiates power- and precision-grip responses, respectively. An embodied account suggests that this effect occurs because object conceptual representations would lie on a motor simulation process. A new account, named the size-coding account, argues that this effect could be rather due to an overlapping of size codes used to represent both manipulable objects and response options. In this article, we investigate whether this potentiation effect could be merely due to a low-level visual feature that favours a size-coding of stimuli: the visual size in which objects are presented. Accordingly, we conducted two experiments in which we presented highly elementary and non-graspable stimuli (i.e., ink spots) either large or small rather than graspable objects. Our results showed that the mere visual size automatically potentiates power- and precision-grip responses that are in line with the size-coding account of the potentiation effect of grasping behaviours. Moreover, these results appeal to improve the methodological control of the size of stimuli especially when researchers try to support the embodied account.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loïc P Heurley
- Laboratoire sur les Interactions Cognition, Action, Émotion (LICAE), Université Paris Nanterre, Nanterre Cedex, France
| | - Mohamed Halim Harrak
- Laboratoire sur les Interactions Cognition, Action, Émotion (LICAE), Université Paris Nanterre, Nanterre Cedex, France
| | - Ronan Guerineau
- Laboratoire sur les Interactions Cognition, Action, Émotion (LICAE), Université Paris Nanterre, Nanterre Cedex, France
| | - Laurent P Ferrier
- Laboratoire sur les Interactions Cognition, Action, Émotion (LICAE), Université Paris Nanterre, Nanterre Cedex, France
| | - Nicolas Morgado
- Laboratoire sur les Interactions Cognition, Action, Émotion (LICAE), Université Paris Nanterre, Nanterre Cedex, France
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Chui K, Ng CT, Chang TT. The visuo-sensorimotor substrate of co-speech gesture processing. Neuropsychologia 2023; 190:108697. [PMID: 37827428 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Co-speech gestures are integral to human communication and exhibit diverse forms, each serving a distinct communication function. However, existing literature has focused on individual gesture types, leaving a gap in understanding the comparative neural processing of these diverse forms. To address this, our study investigated the neural processing of two types of iconic gestures: those representing attributes or event knowledge of entity concepts, beat gestures enacting rhythmic manual movements without semantic information, and self-adaptors. During functional magnetic resonance imaging, systematic randomization and attentive observation of video stimuli revealed a general neural substrate for co-speech gesture processing primarily in the bilateral middle temporal and inferior parietal cortices, characterizing visuospatial attention, semantic integration of cross-modal information, and multisensory processing of manual and audiovisual inputs. Specific types of gestures and grooming movements elicited distinct neural responses. Greater activity in the right supramarginal and inferior frontal regions was specific to self-adaptors, and is relevant to the spatiomotor and integrative processing of speech and gestures. The semantic and sensorimotor regions were least active for beat gestures. The processing of attribute gestures was most pronounced in the left posterior middle temporal gyrus upon access to knowledge of entity concepts. This fMRI study illuminated the neural underpinnings of gesture-speech integration and highlighted the differential processing pathways for various co-speech gestures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kawai Chui
- Department of English, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan; Research Centre for Mind, Brain, and Learning, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chan-Tat Ng
- Department of Psychology, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Ting Chang
- Research Centre for Mind, Brain, and Learning, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychology, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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Chehade NG, Gharbawie OA. Motor actions are spatially organized in motor and dorsal premotor cortex. eLife 2023; 12:e83196. [PMID: 37855376 PMCID: PMC10622145 DOI: 10.7554/elife.83196] [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: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Frontal motor areas are central to controlling voluntary movements. In non-human primates, the motor areas contain independent, somatotopic, representations of the forelimb (i.e., motor maps). But are the neural codes for actions spatially organized within those forelimb representations? Addressing this question would provide insight into the poorly understood structure-function relationships of the cortical motor system. Here, we tackle the problem using high-resolution optical imaging and motor mapping in motor (M1) and dorsal premotor (PMd) cortex. Two macaque monkeys performed an instructed reach-to-grasp task while cortical activity was recorded with intrinsic signal optical imaging (ISOI). The spatial extent of activity in M1 and PMd was then quantified in relation to the forelimb motor maps, which we obtained from the same hemisphere with intracortical microstimulation. ISOI showed that task-related activity was concentrated in patches that collectively overlapped <40% of the M1 and PMd forelimb representations. The spatial organization of the patches was consistent across task conditions despite small variations in forelimb use. Nevertheless, the largest condition differences in forelimb use were reflected in the magnitude of cortical activity. Distinct time course profiles from patches in arm zones and patches in hand zones suggest functional differences within the forelimb representations. The results collectively support an organizational framework wherein the forelimb representations contain subzones enriched with neurons tuned for specific actions. Thus, the often-overlooked spatial dimension of neural activity appears to be an important organizing feature of the neural code in frontal motor areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas G Chehade
- Department of Neurobiology, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
- Systems Neuroscience Center, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
- Center for the Neural Basis of CognitionPittsburghUnited States
- Center for Neuroscience, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
| | - Omar A Gharbawie
- Department of Neurobiology, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
- Systems Neuroscience Center, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
- Center for the Neural Basis of CognitionPittsburghUnited States
- Center for Neuroscience, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of PittsburghPittsburghUnited States
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9
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Li Y, Niu R, Liu L, Liu Y. Premotor function in interpersonal bimanual coordination: Neural responses to varying frequencies and spatio-temporal relationships. Physiol Behav 2023; 270:114303. [PMID: 37481151 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Interpersonal movement coordination is an important aspect of daily life. Behavioral studies have found that rhythmic bimanual coordination of movement is mainly influenced by two factors, spatio-temporal relationship and frequency of movements. How these factors affect action coordination at the neural level needs further exploration. The current study used a factor design to investigate the brain basis of movement coordination under various spatiotemporal relationships and frequencies, as well as their intricate interaction. METHODS Participants were asked to perform symmetric or alternating hand movements under conditions of different spatio-temporal relationships (symmetric, alternating) and frequencies. A multi-channel, continuous wave, functional near-infrared spectral (fNIRS) imaging instrument was used to monitor hemodynamic activity while 16 pairs of volunteers performed the task. RESULTS Behaviorally, as indexed by phase locking value, movements were more stable in symmetric mode than in alternate mode. With increasing frequency, symmetric mode became more unstable; in contrast, alternating mode became more stable at higher frequencies, suggesting phase transition. Activation in brain regions of interest was much stronger in symmetric mode as compared with alternate mode. In alternate mode, but not symmetric mode, [HbO] varied with frequency. CONCLUSION Interpersonal bimanual coordination involves activity in premotor areas (premotor cortex, supplementary motor area, and frontal eye fields). More oxygen is consumed in these regions in alternating mode than in symmetric mode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanan Li
- School of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruoyu Niu
- School of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Lei Liu
- School of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Liu
- School of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China; Key Lab of Cognitive Evaluation and Regulation in Sport, General Administration of Sport of China, Shanghai, China.
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Renner E, Xie Y, Subiaul F, Hamilton AFDC. Are there dedicated neural mechanisms for imitation? A study of grist and mills. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0291771. [PMID: 37751437 PMCID: PMC10522020 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Are there brain regions that are specialized for the execution of imitative actions? We compared two hypotheses of imitation: the mirror neuron system (MNS) hypothesis predicts frontal and parietal engagement which is specific to imitation, while the Grist-Mills hypothesis predicts no difference in brain activation between imitative and matched non-imitative actions. Our delayed imitation fMRI paradigm included two tasks, one where correct performance was defined by a spatial rule and another where it was defined by an item-based rule. For each task, participants could learn a sequence from a video of a human hand performing the task, from a matched "Ghost" condition, or from text instructions. When participants executed actions after seeing the Hand demonstration (compared to Ghost and Text demonstrations), no activation differences occurred in frontal or parietal regions; rather, activation was localized primarily to occipital cortex. This adds to a growing body of evidence which indicates that imitation-specific responses during action execution do not occur in canonical mirror regions, contradicting the mirror neuron system hypothesis. However, activation differences did occur between action execution in the Hand and Ghost conditions outside MNS regions, which runs counter to the Grist-Mills hypothesis. We conclude that researchers should look beyond these hypotheses as well as classical MNS regions to describe the ways in which imitative actions are implemented by the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Renner
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Yishan Xie
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Francys Subiaul
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States of America
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Antonia F. de C. Hamilton
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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Planer RJ. The evolution of hierarchically structured communication. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1224324. [PMID: 37767213 PMCID: PMC10520573 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1224324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Human language sentences are standardly understood as exhibiting considerable hierarchical structure: they can and typically do contain parts that in turn contain parts, etc. In other words, sentences are thought to generally exhibit significant nested part-whole structure. As far as we can tell, this is not a feature of the gestural or vocal communication systems of our great ape relatives. So, one of the many challenges we face in providing a theory of human language evolution is to explain the evolution of hierarchically structured communication in our line. This article takes up that challenge. More specifically, I first present and motivate an account of hierarchical structure in language that departs significantly from the orthodox conception of such structure in linguistics and evolutionary discussions that draw on linguistic theory. On the account I propose, linguistic structure, including hierarchical structure, is treated as a special case of structured action. This account is rooted in the cognitive neuroscience of action, as opposed to (formal) linguistic theory. Among other things, such an account enables us to see how selection for enhanced capacities of act organization and act control in actors, and for act interpretation in observers, might have constructed the brain machinery necessary for the elaborate forms of hierarchically structured communication that we humans engage in. I flesh out this line of thought, emphasizing in particular the role of hominin technique and technology, and the social learning thereof, as evolutionary drivers of this brain machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald J. Planer
- School of Liberal Arts, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
- Words, Bones, Genes, and Tools: DFG Center for Advanced Studies, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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12
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Zanini A, Dureux A, Selvanayagam J, Everling S. Ultra-high field fMRI identifies an action-observation network in the common marmoset. Commun Biol 2023; 6:553. [PMID: 37217698 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04942-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The observation of others' actions activates a network of temporal, parietal and premotor/prefrontal areas in macaque monkeys and humans. This action-observation network (AON) has been shown to play important roles in social action monitoring, learning by imitation, and social cognition in both species. It is unclear whether a similar network exists in New-World primates, which separated from Old-Word primates ~35 million years ago. Here we used ultra-high field fMRI at 9.4 T in awake common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) while they watched videos depicting goal-directed (grasping food) or non-goal-directed actions. The observation of goal-directed actions activates a temporo-parieto-frontal network, including areas 6 and 45 in premotor/prefrontal cortices, areas PGa-IPa, FST and TE in occipito-temporal region and areas V6A, MIP, LIP and PG in the occipito-parietal cortex. These results show overlap with the humans and macaques' AON, demonstrating the existence of an evolutionarily conserved network that likely predates the separation of Old and New-World primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Zanini
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
| | - Audrey Dureux
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Janahan Selvanayagam
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Stefan Everling
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
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13
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Schwell G, Kozol Z, Tarshansky D, Einat M, Frenkel-Toledo S. The effect of action observation combined with high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation on motor performance in healthy adults: A randomized controlled trial. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1126510. [PMID: 36936614 PMCID: PMC10014919 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1126510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Action observation (AO) can improve motor performance in humans, probably via the human mirror neuron system. In addition, there is some evidence that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can improve motor performance. However, it is yet to be determined whether AO combined with tDCS has an enhanced effect on motor performance. We investigated the effect of AO combined with high-definition tDCS (HD-tDCS) targeting the inferior parietal lobe (IPL) and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), the main aggregates of the human mirror neuron system, on motor performance in healthy adults and compared the immediate vs. 24-h retention test effects (anodal electrodes were placed over these regions of interest). Sixty participants were randomly divided into three groups that received one of the following single-session interventions: (1) observation of a video clip that presented reaching movement sequences toward five lighted units + active HD-tDCS stimulation (AO + active HD-tDCS group); (2) observation of a video clip that presented the same reaching movement sequences + sham HD-tDCS stimulation (AO + sham HD-tDCS group); and (3) observation of a video clip that presented neutral movie while receiving sham stimulation (NM + sham HD-tDCS group). Subjects' reaching performance was tested before and immediately after each intervention and following 24 h. Subjects performed reaching movements toward units that were activated in the same order as the observed sequence during pretest, posttest, and retest. Occasionally, the sequence order was changed by beginning the sequence unexpectedly with a different activated unit. Outcome measures included mean Reaching Time and difference between the Reaching Time of the unexpected and expected reaching movements (Delta). In the posttest and retest, Reaching Time and Delta improved in the AO + sham HD-tDCS group compared to the NM + HD-sham tDCS group. In addition, at posttest, Delta improved in the AO + active HD-tDCS group compared to the NM + sham HD-tDCS group. It appears that combining a montage of active HD-tDCS, which targets the IPL and IFG, with AO interferes with the positive effects of AO alone on the performance of reaching movement sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gidon Schwell
- Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Sciences, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
| | - Zvi Kozol
- Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Sciences, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
| | - David Tarshansky
- Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Sciences, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
| | - Moshe Einat
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
| | - Silvi Frenkel-Toledo
- Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Sciences, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
- Department of Neurological Rehabilitation, Loewenstein Rehabilitation Medical Center, Ra’anana, Israel
- *Correspondence: Silvi Frenkel-Toledo,
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14
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Amaral L, Donato R, Valério D, Caparelli-Dáquer E, Almeida J, Bergström F. Disentangling hand and tool processing: Distal effects of neuromodulation. Cortex 2022; 157:142-154. [PMID: 36283136 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2022.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Neural processing within a local brain region that responds to more than one object category (e.g., hands and tools) nonetheless have different functional connectivity patterns with other distal brain areas, which suggests that local processing can affect and/or be affected by processing in distal areas, in a category-specific way. Here we wanted to test whether administering either a hand- or tool-related training task in tandem with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to a region that responds both to hands and tools (posterior middle temporal gyrus; pMTG), modulated local and distal neural processing more for the trained than the untrained category in a subsequent fMRI task. After each combined tDCS/training session, participants viewed images of tools, hands, and animals, in an fMRI scanner. Using multivoxel pattern analysis, we found that tDCS stimulation to pMTG indeed improved the classification accuracy between tools vs. animals, but only when combined with a tool and not a hand training task. Surprisingly, tDCS stimulation to pMTG also improved classification accuracy between hands vs. animals when combined with a tool but not a hand training task. Our findings suggest that overlapping but functionally-specific networks may be engaged separately by using a category-specific training task together with tDCS - a strategy that can be applied more broadly to other cognitive domains using tDCS. By hypothesis, these effects on local processing are a direct result of within-domain connectivity constraints from domain-specific networks that are at play in the processing and organization of object representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lénia Amaral
- Proaction Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra. Portugal; CINEICC, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra. Portugal
| | - Rita Donato
- Proaction Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra. Portugal; Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Italy; Human Inspired Technology Centre, University of Padova, Italy
| | - Daniela Valério
- Proaction Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra. Portugal; CINEICC, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra. Portugal
| | - Egas Caparelli-Dáquer
- Laboratory of Electrical Stimulation of the Nervous System (LabEEL), Rio de Janeiro State University, Brazil
| | - Jorge Almeida
- Proaction Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra. Portugal; CINEICC, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra. Portugal.
| | - Fredrik Bergström
- Proaction Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra. Portugal; CINEICC, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra. Portugal; Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
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15
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Avraham E, Sacher Y, Maaravi-Hesseg R, Karni A, Doron R. Skill-learning by observation-training with patients after traumatic brain injury. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:940075. [PMID: 36118978 PMCID: PMC9471376 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.940075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability in Western society, and often results in functional and neuropsychological abnormalities. Memory impairment is one of the most significant cognitive implications after TBI. In the current study we investigated procedural memory acquisition by observational training in TBI patients. It was previously found that while practicing a new motor skill, patients engage in all three phases of skill learning–fast acquisition, between-session consolidation, and long-term retention, though their pattern of learning is atypical compared to healthy participants. A different set of studies showed that training by observing a motor task, generally prompted effective acquisition and consolidation of procedural knowledge in healthy participants. The aim of our study was to (i) evaluate the potential benefit of action observation in TBI patients. (ii) Examine the possibility of general improvement in performance between the first (24 h post-training) and second (2 weeks post-training) stage of the study. (iii) Investigate the link between patients’ ability to benefit from observational learning (via performance gains–speed and accuracy) and common measures of injury (such as severity of injury, functional and cognitive measures).
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Affiliation(s)
- Einat Avraham
- School of Behavioral Science, The Academic College, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
- The Loewenstein Rehabilitation Medical Center, Ra’anana, Israel
- *Correspondence: Einat Avraham,
| | - Yaron Sacher
- The Loewenstein Rehabilitation Medical Center, Ra’anana, Israel
- Sackler Medical Faculty, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
- Yaron Sacher,
| | - Rinatia Maaravi-Hesseg
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Brain–Behavior Research Center, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Rinatia Maaravi-Hesseg,
| | - Avi Karni
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Brain–Behavior Research Center, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Ravid Doron
- Department of Education and Psychology, The Open University, Ra’anana, Israel
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16
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Hand constraint reduces brain activity and affects the speed of verbal responses on semantic tasks. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13545. [PMID: 35941140 PMCID: PMC9360433 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17702-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
According to the theory of embodied cognition, semantic processing is closely coupled with body movements. For example, constraining hand movements inhibits memory for objects that can be manipulated with the hands. However, it has not been confirmed whether body constraint reduces brain activity related to semantics. We measured the effect of hand constraint on semantic processing in the parietal lobe using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. A pair of words representing the names of hand-manipulable (e.g., cup or pencil) or nonmanipulable (e.g., windmill or fountain) objects were presented, and participants were asked to identify which object was larger. The reaction time (RT) in the judgment task and the activation of the left intraparietal sulcus (LIPS) and left inferior parietal lobule (LIPL), including the supramarginal gyrus and angular gyrus, were analyzed. We found that constraint of hand movement suppressed brain activity in the LIPS toward hand-manipulable objects and affected RT in the size judgment task. These results indicate that body constraint reduces the activity of brain regions involved in semantics. Hand constraint might inhibit motor simulation, which, in turn, would inhibit body-related semantic processing.
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17
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Ziccarelli S, Errante A, Fogassi L. Decoding point-light displays and fully visible hand grasping actions within the action observation network. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:4293-4309. [PMID: 35611407 PMCID: PMC9435013 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Action observation typically recruits visual areas and dorsal and ventral sectors of the parietal and premotor cortex. This network has been collectively termed as extended action observation network (eAON). Within this network, the elaboration of kinematic aspects of biological motion is crucial. Previous studies investigated these aspects by presenting subjects with point-light displays (PLDs) videos of whole-body movements, showing the recruitment of some of the eAON areas. However, studies focused on cortical activation during observation of PLDs grasping actions are lacking. In the present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, we assessed the activation of eAON in healthy participants during the observation of both PLDs and fully visible hand grasping actions, excluding confounding effects due to low-level visual features, motion, and context. Results showed that the observation of PLDs grasping stimuli elicited a bilateral activation of the eAON. Region of interest analyses performed on visual and sensorimotor areas showed no significant differences in signal intensity between PLDs and fully visible experimental conditions, indicating that both conditions evoked a similar motor resonance mechanism. Multivoxel pattern analysis (MVPA) revealed significant decoding of PLDs and fully visible grasping observation conditions in occipital, parietal, and premotor areas belonging to eAON. Data show that kinematic features conveyed by PLDs stimuli are sufficient to elicit a complete action representation, suggesting that these features can be disentangled within the eAON from the features usually characterizing fully visible actions. PLDs stimuli could be useful in assessing which areas are recruited, when only kinematic cues are available, for action recognition, imitation, and motor learning.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Antonino Errante
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Leonardo Fogassi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
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18
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Tofani M, Santecchia L, Conte A, Berardi A, Galeoto G, Sogos C, Petrarca M, Panuccio F, Castelli E. Effects of Mirror Neurons-Based Rehabilitation Techniques in Hand Injuries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:5526. [PMID: 35564920 PMCID: PMC9104298 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Background: Hand trauma requires specific rehabilitation protocol depending on the different structures involved. According to type of surgical intervention, and for monitoring pain and edema, post-operative rehabilitation of a hand that has experienced trauma involves different timings for immobilization. Several protocols have been used to reduce immobilization time, and various techniques and methods are adopted, depending on the structures involved. Objective: To measure the effects of mirror neurons-based rehabilitation techniques in hand injuries throughout a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: The protocol was accepted in PROSPERO database. A literature search was conducted in Cinahl, Scopus, Medline, PEDro, OTseeker. Two authors independently identified eligible studies, based on predefined inclusion criteria, and extracted the data. RCT quality was assessed using the JADAD scale. Results: Seventy-nine suitable studies were screened, and only eleven were included for qualitative synthesis, while four studies were selected for quantitative analysis. Four studies were case reports/series, and seven were RCTs. Nine investigate the effect of Mirror Therapy and two the effect of Motor Imagery. Quantitative analyses revealed Mirror Therapy as effective for hand function recovery (mean difference = −14.80 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = −17.22, −12.38) (p < 0.00001) in the short term, as well as in long follow-up groups (mean difference = −13.11 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = −17.53, −8.69) (p < 0.00001). Clinical, but not statistical, efficacy was found for manual dexterity (p = 0.15), while no benefit was reported for range of motion. Conclusions: Mirror neurons-based rehabilitation techniques, combined with conventional occupational and physical therapy, can be a useful approach in hand trauma. Mirror therapy seems to be effective for hand function recovery, but, for motor imagery and action observation, there is not sufficient evidence to recommend its use. Further research on the efficacy of the mirror neurons-based technique in hand injury is recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Tofani
- Professional Development, Continuous Education and Research Service, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, 00165 Rome, Italy
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (A.B.); (G.G.); (C.S.)
| | - Luigino Santecchia
- Orthopedic Unit, Department of Surgery, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, 00100 Rome, Italy;
| | - Antonella Conte
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (A.B.); (G.G.); (C.S.)
- Neuromed IRCCS, 86077 Pozzili, Italy
| | - Anna Berardi
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (A.B.); (G.G.); (C.S.)
| | - Giovanni Galeoto
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (A.B.); (G.G.); (C.S.)
- Neuromed IRCCS, 86077 Pozzili, Italy
| | - Carla Sogos
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (A.B.); (G.G.); (C.S.)
| | - Maurizio Petrarca
- Department of Intensive Neurorehabilitation and Robotics, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, 00100 Rome, Italy; (M.P.); (E.C.)
| | | | - Enrico Castelli
- Department of Intensive Neurorehabilitation and Robotics, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, 00100 Rome, Italy; (M.P.); (E.C.)
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19
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Mnif M, Chikh S, Jarraya M. Effect of Social Context on Cognitive and Motor Behavior: A Systematic Review. J Mot Behav 2022; 54:631-647. [PMID: 35379082 DOI: 10.1080/00222895.2022.2060928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Human cognitive and motor behavior is influenced by the social contexts. The aim of this systematic review is to investigate the impact of the social contexts on human behaviors. A systematic search of the literature was performed via Pub-Med/Medline, Web of sciences, Google scholar, Science direct, Springer-Link and EMBASE and 68 articles were selected. After applying all the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 16 articles were retained. The results show that the presence of other people and the social context influence motor behavior (i.e. movement duration, trajectory behavior, maximum speed) and cognitive behavior (reaction time). Studies have shown an improvement in performance in the presence of other people compared to the individual situation. However, other studies showed that the presence of other people led to deterioration in performance compared to the individual situation. The improvement of behavior is attributed to the social phenomenon of facilitation while the deterioration was explained by the conduct theory or the distraction conflict theory. These social phenomena of facilitation or inhibition could be related to the perception-action theory, which interferes with interaction with other. This, in turn, seems to be associated with neural circuits of mirror neurons and motor system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maha Mnif
- Education, Motricity, Sport and Health Research Laboratory, EMSS-LR19JS01, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia.,High Institute of Sports and Physical Education, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - Soufien Chikh
- Education, Motricity, Sport and Health Research Laboratory, EMSS-LR19JS01, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia.,High Institute of Sports and Physical Education, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - Mohamed Jarraya
- Education, Motricity, Sport and Health Research Laboratory, EMSS-LR19JS01, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia.,High Institute of Sports and Physical Education, Sfax, Tunisia
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20
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Almulla L, Al-Naib I, Ateeq IS, Althobaiti M. Observation and motor imagery balance tasks evaluation: An fNIRS feasibility study. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0265898. [PMID: 35320324 PMCID: PMC8942212 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we aimed at exploring the feasibility of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) for studying the observation and/or motor imagination of various postural tasks. Thirteen healthy adult subjects followed five trials of static and dynamic standing balance tasks, throughout three different experimental setups of action observation (AO), a combination of action observation and motor imagery (AO+MI), and motor imagery (MI). During static and dynamic standing tasks, both the AO+MI and MI experiments revealed that many channels in prefrontal or motor regions are significantly activated while the AO experiment showed almost no significant increase in activations in most of the channels. The contrast between static and dynamic standing tasks showed that with more demanding balance tasks, relative higher activation patterns were observed, particularly during AO and in AO+MI experiments in the frontopolar area. Moreover, the AO+MI experiment revealed a significant difference in premotor and supplementary motor cortices that are related to balance control. Furthermore, it has been observed that the AO+MI experiment induced relatively higher activation patterns in comparison to AO or MI alone. Remarkably, the results of this work match its counterpart from previous functional magnetic resonance imaging studies. Therefore, they may pave the way for using the fNIRS as a diagnostic tool for evaluating the performance of the non-physical balance training during the rehabilitation period of temporally immobilized patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Latifah Almulla
- Biomedical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ibraheem Al-Naib
- Biomedical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ijlal Shahrukh Ateeq
- Biomedical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Murad Althobaiti
- Biomedical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
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21
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Compartmentalized dynamics within a common multi-area mesoscale manifold represent a repertoire of human hand movements. Neuron 2022; 110:154-174.e12. [PMID: 34678147 PMCID: PMC9701546 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 07/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The human hand is unique in the animal kingdom for unparalleled dexterity, ranging from complex prehension to fine finger individuation. How does the brain represent such a diverse repertoire of movements? We evaluated mesoscale neural dynamics across the human "grasp network," using electrocorticography and dimensionality reduction methods, for a repertoire of hand movements. Strikingly, we found that the grasp network represented both finger and grasping movements alike. Specifically, the manifold characterizing the multi-areal neural covariance structure was preserved during all movements across this distributed network. In contrast, latent neural dynamics within this manifold were surprisingly specific to movement type. Aligning latent activity to kinematics further uncovered distinct submanifolds despite similarities in synergistic coupling of joints between movements. We thus find that despite preserved neural covariance at the distributed network level, mesoscale dynamics are compartmentalized into movement-specific submanifolds; this mesoscale organization may allow flexible switching between a repertoire of hand movements.
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22
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Valizadeh A, Mbwogge M, Rasouli Yazdi A, Hedayati Amlashi N, Haadi A, Shayestefar M, Moassefi M. The mirror mechanism in schizophrenia: A systematic review and qualitative meta-analysis. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:884828. [PMID: 36213922 PMCID: PMC9532849 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.884828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mirror neuron system (MNS) consists of visuomotor neurons that are responsible for the mirror neuron activity (MNA), meaning that each time an individual observes another individual performing an action, these neurons encode that action, and are activated in the observer's cortical motor system. Previous studies report its malfunction in autism, opening doors to investigate the underlying pathophysiology of the disorder in a more elaborate way and coming up with new rehabilitation methods. The study of MNA function in schizophrenia patients has not been as frequent and conclusive as in autism. In this research, we aimed to evaluate the functional integrity of MNA and the microstructural integrity of MNS in schizophrenia patients. METHODS We included case-control studies that have evaluated MNA in schizophrenia patients compared to healthy controls using a variety of objective assessment tools. In August 2022, we searched Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science for eligible studies. We used an adapted version of the NIH Quality Assessment of Case-Control Studies tool to assess the quality of the included studies. Evidence was analyzed using vote counting methods of the direction of the effect and was tested statistically using the Sign test. Certainty of evidence was assessed using CERQual. RESULTS We included 32 studies for the analysis. Statistical tests revealed decreased MNA (p = 0.002) in schizophrenia patients. The certainty of the evidence was judged to be moderate. Investigations of heterogeneity revealed a possible relationship between the age and the positive symptoms of participants in the included studies and the direction of the observed effect. DISCUSSION This finding contributes to gaining a better understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of the disorder by revealing its possible relation to some of the symptoms in schizophrenia patients, while also highlighting a new commonality with autism. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION PROSPERO identifier: CRD42021236453.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Valizadeh
- Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | | | | | - Ainaaz Haadi
- School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Monir Shayestefar
- Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mana Moassefi
- Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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23
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Intracortical facilitation and inhibition in human primary motor cortex during motor skill acquisition. Exp Brain Res 2022; 240:3289-3304. [PMID: 36308563 PMCID: PMC9678989 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-022-06496-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The primary motor cortex (M1) is critical for movement execution, but its role in motor skill acquisition remains elusive. Here, we examine the role of M1 intracortical circuits during skill acquisition. Paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) paradigms of short-interval intracortical facilitation (SICF) and inhibition (SICI) were used to assess excitatory and inhibitory circuits, respectively. We hypothesised that intracortical facilitation and inhibition circuits in M1 would be modulated to support acquisition of a novel visuomotor skill. Twenty-two young, neurologically healthy adults trained with their nondominant hand on a skilled and non-skilled sequential visuomotor isometric finger abduction task. Electromyographic recordings were obtained from the nondominant first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle. Corticomotor excitability, SICF, and SICI were examined before, at the midway point, and after the 10-block motor training. SICI was assessed using adaptive threshold-hunting procedures. Task performance improved after the skilled, but not non-skilled, task training, which likely reflected the increase in movement speed during training. The amplitudes of late SICF peaks were modulated with skilled task training. There was no modulation of the early SICF peak, SICI, and corticomotor excitability with either task training. There was also no association between skill acquisition and SICF or SICI. The findings indicate that excitatory circuitries responsible for the generation of late SICF peaks, but not the early SICF peak, are modulated in motor skill acquisition for a sequential visuomotor isometric finger abduction task.
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The contributions of the ventral and the dorsal visual streams to the automatic processing of action relations of familiar and unfamiliar object pairs. Neuroimage 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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25
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Abbass ME, Ibrahim NM. Effectiveness of action observation therapy on upper extremity function in children with cerebral palsy: systematic review and meta-analysis. PHYSICAL THERAPY REVIEWS 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/10833196.2021.1978247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mai Elsayed Abbass
- Pediatric Physical Therapy Department, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Nahla M. Ibrahim
- Pediatric Physical Therapy Department, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
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Decoding grip type and action goal during the observation of reaching-grasping actions: A multivariate fMRI study. Neuroimage 2021; 243:118511. [PMID: 34450263 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
During execution and observation of reaching-grasping actions, the brain must encode, at the same time, the final action goal and the type of grip necessary to achieve it. Recently, it has been proposed that the Mirror Neuron System (MNS) is involved not only in coding the final goal of the observed action, but also the type of grip used to grasp the object. However, the specific contribution of the different areas of the MNS, at both cortical and subcortical level, in disentangling action goal and grip type is still unclear. Here, twenty human volunteers participated in an fMRI study in which they performed two tasks: (a) observation of four different types of actions, consisting in reaching-to-grasp a box handle with two possible grips (precision, hook) and two possible goals (open, close); (b) action execution, in which participants performed grasping actions similar to those presented during the observation task. A conjunction analysis revealed the presence of shared activated voxels for both action observation and execution within several cortical areas including dorsal and ventral premotor cortex, inferior and superior parietal cortex, intraparietal sulcus, primary somatosensory cortex, and cerebellar lobules VI and VIII. ROI analyses showed a main effect for grip type in several premotor and parietal areas and cerebellar lobule VI, with higher BOLD activation during observation of precision vs hook actions. A grip x goal interaction was also present in the left inferior parietal cortex, with higher BOLD activity during precision-to-close actions. A multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) revealed a significant accuracy for the grip model in all ROIs, while for the action goal model, significant accuracy was observed only for left inferior parietal cortex ROI. These findings indicate that a large network involving cortical and cerebellar areas is involved in the processing of type of grip, while final action goal appears to be mainly processed within the inferior parietal region, suggesting a differential contribution of the areas activated in this study.
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27
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Zardi A, Carlotti EG, Pontremoli A, Morese R. Dancing in Your Head: An Interdisciplinary Review. Front Psychol 2021; 12:649121. [PMID: 34002113 PMCID: PMC8123236 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.649121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this review is to highlight the most relevant contributions on dance in neuroscientific research. Neuroscience has analyzed the mirror system through neuroimaging techniques, testing its role in imitative learning, in the recognition of other people's emotions and especially in the understanding of the motor behavior of others. This review analyses the literature related to five general areas: (I) breakthrough studies on the mirror system, and subsequent studies on its involvement in the prediction, the execution, the control of movement, and in the process of "embodied simulation" within the intersubjective relationship; (II) research focused on investigating the neural networks in action observation, and the neural correlates of motor expertise highlighted by comparative studies on different dance styles; (III) studies dealing with the viewer's experience of dance according to specific dance repertoires, which revealed the relevance of choreographic choices for aesthetic appreciation; (IV) studies focused on dance as an aesthetic experience, where both the emotional and the cultural dimension play a significant role, and whose investigation paves the way to further progress both in empirical and in phenomenological research methodologies; (V) collaboration-based experiments, in which neuroscientists and choreographers developed expertise-related questions, especially focusing on the multiple phenomena that underlie motor imagery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Zardi
- Department of Humanities, School of Human Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Alessandro Pontremoli
- Department of Humanities, School of Human Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Rosalba Morese
- Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
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Li Y, Li W, Zhang T, Zhang J, Jin Z, Li L. Probing the role of the right inferior frontal gyrus during Pain-Related empathy processing: Evidence from fMRI and TMS. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:1518-1531. [PMID: 33283946 PMCID: PMC7927301 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have suggested that the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) may be involved in pain-related empathy. To verify the role of the rIFG, we performed a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiment to replicate previous research and further designed a noninvasive repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) experiment to probe the causal role of the rIFG in pain-related empathy processing. We assigned 74 volunteers (37 females) to three groups. Group 1 (n = 26) performed a task in which participants were required to perceive pain in others (task of pain: TP) and we used fMRI to observe the activity of the rIFG during pain-related empathy processing. Then, we applied online rTMS to the rIFG and the vertex site (as reference site) to observe the performance of Group 2 (n = 24; performing TP) and Group 3 (n = 24; performing a control task of identifying body parts; task of body: TB). fMRI experiment demonstrated stronger activation in the rIFG than in the vertex during the perception of pain in others (p < .0001, Bonferroni-corrected). rTMS experiment indicated that when the rIFG was temporarily disrupted, participants perceived pain in others significantly more slowly (p < .0001, Bonferroni-corrected) than when the vertex was disrupted. Our results provide evidence that the rIFG is involved in pain-related empathy processing, which yields insights into how the brain perceives pain in others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Li
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High‐Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Center for Psychiatry and Psychology, School of Life Science and TechnologyUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
- School of ManagementChengdu University of Traditional Chinese MedicineChengduChina
| | - Wenjuan Li
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High‐Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Center for Psychiatry and Psychology, School of Life Science and TechnologyUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
| | - Tingting Zhang
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High‐Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Center for Psychiatry and Psychology, School of Life Science and TechnologyUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
| | - Junjun Zhang
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High‐Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Center for Psychiatry and Psychology, School of Life Science and TechnologyUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
| | - Zhenlan Jin
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High‐Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Center for Psychiatry and Psychology, School of Life Science and TechnologyUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
| | - Ling Li
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High‐Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Center for Psychiatry and Psychology, School of Life Science and TechnologyUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
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Keshner EA, Lamontagne A. The Untapped Potential of Virtual Reality in Rehabilitation of Balance and Gait in Neurological Disorders. FRONTIERS IN VIRTUAL REALITY 2021; 2:641650. [PMID: 33860281 PMCID: PMC8046008 DOI: 10.3389/frvir.2021.641650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Dynamic systems theory transformed our understanding of motor control by recognizing the continual interaction between the organism and the environment. Movement could no longer be visualized simply as a response to a pattern of stimuli or as a demonstration of prior intent; movement is context dependent and is continuously reshaped by the ongoing dynamics of the world around us. Virtual reality is one methodological variable that allows us to control and manipulate that environmental context. A large body of literature exists to support the impact of visual flow, visual conditions, and visual perception on the planning and execution of movement. In rehabilitative practice, however, this technology has been employed mostly as a tool for motivation and enjoyment of physical exercise. The opportunity to modulate motor behavior through the parameters of the virtual world is often ignored in practice. In this article we present the results of experiments from our laboratories and from others demonstrating that presenting particular characteristics of the virtual world through different sensory modalities will modify balance and locomotor behavior. We will discuss how movement in the virtual world opens a window into the motor planning processes and informs us about the relative weighting of visual and somatosensory signals. Finally, we discuss how these findings should influence future treatment design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily A. Keshner
- Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Correspondence: Emily A. Keshner,
| | - Anouk Lamontagne
- School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Virtual Reality and Mobility Laboratory, CISSS Laval—Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital Site of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal, Laval, QC, Canada
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30
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Cavatorta C, Meroni S, Montin E, Oprandi MC, Pecori E, Lecchi M, Diletto B, Alessandro O, Peruzzo D, Biassoni V, Schiavello E, Bologna M, Massimino M, Poggi G, Mainardi L, Arrigoni F, Spreafico F, Verderio P, Pignoli E, Gandola L. Retrospective study of late radiation-induced damages after focal radiotherapy for childhood brain tumors. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0247748. [PMID: 33635906 PMCID: PMC7909688 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0247748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To study a robust and reproducible procedure to investigate a relation between focal brain radiotherapy (RT) low doses, neurocognitive impairment and late White Matter and Gray Matter alterations, as shown by Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), in children. METHODS AND MATERIALS Forty-five patients (23 males and 22 females, median age at RT 6.2 years, median age at evaluations 11.1 years) who had received focal RT for brain tumors were recruited for DTI exams and neurocognitive tests. Patients' brains were parceled in 116 regions of interest (ROIs) using an available segmented atlas. After the development of an ad hoc, home-made, multimodal and highly deformable registration framework, we collected mean RT doses and DTI metrics values for each ROI. The pattern of association between cognitive scores or domains and dose or DTI values was assessed in each ROI through both considering and excluding ROIs with mean doses higher than 75% of the prescription. Subsequently, a preliminary threshold value of dose discriminating patients with and without neurocognitive impairment was selected for the most relevant associations. RESULTS The workflow allowed us to identify 10 ROIs where RT dose and DTI metrics were significantly associated with cognitive tests results (p<0.05). In 5/10 ROIs, RT dose and cognitive tests were associated with p<0.01 and preliminary RT threshold dose values, implying a possible cognitive or neuropsychological damage, were calculated. The analysis of domains showed that the most involved one was the "school-related activities". CONCLUSION This analysis, despite being conducted on a retrospective cohort of children, shows that the identification of critical brain structures and respective radiation dose thresholds is achievable by combining, with appropriate methodological tools, the large amount of data arising from different sources. This supported the design of a prospective study to gain stronger evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Cavatorta
- Medical Physics Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
| | - Silvia Meroni
- Medical Physics Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Eros Montin
- Department of Electronics Information and Bioengineering (DEIB), Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria C. Oprandi
- Neuro-oncological and Neuropsychological Rehabilitation Unit, Scientific Institute IRCCS E. Medea, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
| | - Emilia Pecori
- Pediatric Radiotherapy Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
| | - Mara Lecchi
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
| | - Barbara Diletto
- Pediatric Radiotherapy Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
| | - Ombretta Alessandro
- Pediatric Radiotherapy Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
| | - Denis Peruzzo
- Neuroimaging Lab, Scientific Institute IRCCS E. Medea, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
| | - Veronica Biassoni
- Pediatric Oncology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Schiavello
- Pediatric Oncology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
| | - Marco Bologna
- Department of Electronics Information and Bioengineering (DEIB), Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Maura Massimino
- Pediatric Oncology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
| | - Geraldina Poggi
- Neuro-oncological and Neuropsychological Rehabilitation Unit, Scientific Institute IRCCS E. Medea, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
| | - Luca Mainardi
- Department of Electronics Information and Bioengineering (DEIB), Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Filippo Arrigoni
- Neuroimaging Lab, Scientific Institute IRCCS E. Medea, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
| | - Filippo Spreafico
- Pediatric Oncology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
| | - Paolo Verderio
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
| | - Emanuele Pignoli
- Medical Physics Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
| | - Lorenza Gandola
- Pediatric Radiotherapy Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
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31
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Kithu MC, Saccone EJ, Crewther SG, Goodale MA, Chouinard PA. A priming study on naming real versus pictures of tools. Exp Brain Res 2021; 239:821-834. [PMID: 33394099 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-020-06015-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
There is a growing body of literature demonstrating the relationship between the activation of sensorimotor processes in object recognition. It is unclear, however, if these processes are influenced by the differences in how real (3D) tools and two-dimensional (2D) images of tools are processed by the brain. Here, we examined if these differences could influence the naming of tools. Participants were presented with a prime stimulus that was either a picture of a tool, or a real tool, followed by a target stimulus that was always a real tool. They were then required to name each tool as they appeared. The functional use action required by the target tool was either the same (i.e., squeegee-paint roller) or different (i.e. knife-whisk) to the prime. We found that the format in which the prime tool was presented (i.e., a picture or real tool) had no influence on the participants' response times to naming the target tool. Furthermore, participants were faster at naming target tools relative to prime tools when the exact same tool was presented as both the prime and target. There was no difference in response times to naming the target tool relative to the prime when they were different tools, regardless of whether the tools' functional actions were the same or different. We also found more errors in naming target tools relative to the primes when different tools had a different functional action compared to when the same tool was presented as both the prime and the target. Taken together, our results highlight that the functional actions associated with tools do not facilitate or interfere with the recognition of tools for the purposes of naming. The theoretical implications of these results are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mutindi C Kithu
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Elizabeth J Saccone
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Sheila G Crewther
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Melvyn A Goodale
- The Brain and Mind Institute and the Department of Psychology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Philippe A Chouinard
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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Frak V, Labrecque D, Cohen H. Action verbs drive motor activity in adolescents but not in children. Brain Cogn 2020; 148:105673. [PMID: 33370647 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2020.105673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
In adults, grip force has reliably been used to investigate motor simulation evoked by linguistic action, suggesting that motor phenomena are linked to semantic action. The parietal and frontal lobes and their connexions are essential neural structures for pragmatic aspects of hand semantic action. In this perspective, the aim of the study was to determine the extent to which two groups of children and adolescents, classically characterized by degree of axonal myelination in fronto-parietal circuits, monitored the occurrence of nouns and manual action verbs presented auditorily while holding a grip force sensor. Differential effects of grip force were seen only in the adolescents when monitoring action verbs. Interestingly, weaker effects of grip force were modulated by noun targets only in the younger children, revealing that the ability to profit from a full semantic representation of verbs is not clearly established in the younger children. Grip force modulation was observed as early as 300 ms post target onset and peaked at the 500-750 ms window of observation for both groups. These group differences are in line with the motor simulation difficulties seen in younger children. The results may also indicate that degree of grip force in response to specific linguistic categories parallels the maturation of the parietal-frontal circuits, including the anterior intra-parietal area which plays a determining role in semantic aspects of hand action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Frak
- Département des Sciences de l'Activité Physique, Faculté des Sciences, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire en réadaptation du Montréal Métropolitain.
| | - David Labrecque
- Département des Sciences de l'Activité Physique, Faculté des Sciences, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire en réadaptation du Montréal Métropolitain
| | - Henri Cohen
- Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Activation of cerebellum and basal ganglia during the observation and execution of manipulative actions. Sci Rep 2020; 10:12008. [PMID: 32686738 PMCID: PMC7371896 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68928-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies on action observation mostly described the activation of a network of cortical areas, while less investigation focused specifically on the activation and role of subcortical nodes. In the present fMRI study, we investigated the recruitment of cerebellum and basal ganglia during the execution and observation of object manipulation performed with the right hand. The observation conditions consisted in: (a) observation of manipulative actions; (b) observation of sequences of random finger movements. In the execution conditions, participants had to perform the same actions or movements as in (a) and (b), respectively. The results of conjunction analysis showed significant shared activations during both observation and execution of manipulation in several subcortical structures, including: (1) cerebellar lobules V, VI, crus I, VIIIa and VIIIb (bilaterally); (2) globus pallidus, bilaterally, and left subthalamic nucleus; (3) red nucleus (bilaterally) and left thalamus. These findings support the hypothesis that the action observation/execution network also involves subcortical structures, such as cerebellum and basal ganglia, forming an integrated network. This suggests possible mechanisms, involving these subcortical structures, underlying learning of new motor skills, through action observation and imitation.
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Forti S, Colombo B, Clark J, Bonfanti A, Molteni S, Crippa A, Antonietti A, Molteni M. Soundbeam imitation intervention: Training children with autism to imitate meaningless body gestures through music. ADVANCES IN AUTISM 2020. [DOI: 10.1108/aia-07-2019-0023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present the application and critical reflection on the effects of a intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD): the Soundbeam Imitation Intervention (SII). The intervention is based on the imitation of meaningless body gestures supported by a musical feedback. The rationale underlying SII is that mirror neurons deficit may represent the cause for the incomplete development of social and motor functioning in children with ASD. Following this assumption, it is possible to hypothesise that a systematic activation of this a system through the simultaneous observation-execution of meaningless body gestures may affect functional changes of mirror-related functions.
Design/methodology/approach
A sample of 14 children, who were between 5 and 9 years of age, with a diagnosis of ASD were involved in a six weeks’ SII programme. The programme is designed as a three-step progression, where each step includes exercises that focus on an activity: synchronous/one arm imitation, synchronous/two arms imitation and delayed imitation. Exercises are based on repeated movements-melodies associations of increasing difficulty. Motor imitation and social attention were assessed using a synchronous video-modelling task pre and post intervention.
Findings
Data highlight significant improvements in imitation accuracy and duration of social sustained attention were achieved.
Originality/value
Data reported in this paper provide preliminary and promising evidence that imitation and social attention skills acquired through SII can be generalised to a video-modelling imitation setting. The SII ordinal execution has included meaningless gestures, usually excluded from previous interventions, and this adds further validity to the training.
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Klaproth OW, Halbrügge M, Krol LR, Vernaleken C, Zander TO, Russwinkel N. A Neuroadaptive Cognitive Model for Dealing With Uncertainty in Tracing Pilots' Cognitive State. Top Cogn Sci 2020; 12:1012-1029. [DOI: 10.1111/tops.12515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Marc Halbrügge
- Chair of Cognitive Modelling in Dynamic Systems TU Berlin
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36
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Brain correlates of motor complexity during observed and executed actions. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10965. [PMID: 32620887 PMCID: PMC7335074 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67327-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, cortical areas with motor properties have attracted attention widely to their involvement in both action generation and perception. Inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), ventral premotor cortex (PMv) and inferior parietal lobule (IPL), presumably consisting of motor-related areas, are of particular interest, given that they respond to motor behaviors both when they are performed and observed. Converging neuroimaging evidence has shown the functional roles of IFG, PMv and IPL in action understanding. Most studies have focused on the effects of modulations in goals and kinematics of observed actions on the brain response, but little research has explored the effects of manipulations in motor complexity. To address this, we used fNIRS to examine the brain activity in the frontal, motor, parietal and occipital regions, aiming to better understand the brain correlates involved in encoding motor complexity. Twenty-one healthy adults executed and observed two hand actions that differed in motor complexity. We found that motor complexity sensitive brain regions were present in the pars opercularis IFG/PMv, primary motor cortex (M1), IPL/supramarginal gyrus and middle occipital gyrus (MOG) during action execution, and in pars opercularis IFG/PMv and M1 during action observation. Our findings suggest that the processing of motor complexity involves not only M1 but also pars opercularis IFG, PMv and IPL, each of which plays a critical role in action perception and execution.
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37
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Galvez-Pol A, Forster B, Calvo-Merino B. Beyond action observation: Neurobehavioral mechanisms of memory for visually perceived bodies and actions. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 116:508-518. [PMID: 32544541 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Examining the processing of others' body-related information in the perceivers' brain (action observation) is a key topic in cognitive neuroscience. However, what happens beyond the perceptual stage, when the body is not within view and it is transformed into an associative form that can be stored, updated, and later recalled, remains poorly understood. Here we examine neurobehavioural evidence on the memory processing of visually perceived bodily stimuli (dynamic actions and images of bodies). The reviewed studies indicate that encoding and maintaining bodily stimuli in memory recruits the sensorimotor system. This process arises when bodily stimuli are either recalled through action recognition or reproduction. Interestingly, the memory capacity for these stimuli is rather limited: only 2 or 3 bodily stimuli can be simultaneously held in memory. Moreover, this process is disrupted by increasing concurrent bodily operations; i.e., moving one's body, seeing or memorising additional bodies. Overall, the evidence suggests that the neural circuitry allowing us to move and feel ourselves supports the encoding, retention, and memory recall of others' visually perceived bodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Galvez-Pol
- Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, Department of Psychology, City, University of London, Northampton Square, EC1V 0HB, London, UK; University College London, Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, Institute of Neurology. London WC1N 3BG, UK; Human Evolution and Cognition Research Group (EvoCog), University of the Balearic Islands, Psychology Department, 07122, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
| | - Bettina Forster
- Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, Department of Psychology, City, University of London, Northampton Square, EC1V 0HB, London, UK.
| | - Beatriz Calvo-Merino
- Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, Department of Psychology, City, University of London, Northampton Square, EC1V 0HB, London, UK.
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38
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Hand-use norms for Dutch and English manual action verbs: Implicit measures from a pantomime task. Behav Res Methods 2020; 52:1744-1767. [PMID: 32185639 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-020-01347-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Many studies use manual action verbs to test whether people use neural systems for controlling manual actions to understand language about those actions. Yet, few of these studies empirically establish how people use their hands to perform the actions described by those verbs, relying instead on explicit self-report measures. Here, participants pantomimed the manual actions described by a large set of Dutch (N = 251) and English (N = 250) verbs, allowing us to approximate the extent to which people use each of their hands to perform these actions. After the pantomime task, participants also provided explicit ratings of each of these actions. The results from the pantomime task showed that most manual actions cannot be described accurately as either "unimanual" or "bimanual." With a few exceptions, unimanual action verbs do not describe actions that are performed with only one hand, and bimanual verbs do not describe actions that are performed by using both hands equally. Instead, individual actions vary continuously in the extent to which people use their non-dominant hand to perform them, and in the extent to which people consistently prefer one hand or the other to perform them. Finally, by comparing participants' implicit behavior to their explicit ratings, we found that participants' self-report showed only limited correspondence with their observed motor behavior. We provide all of our measures in both raw and summary format, offering researchers a precision tool for constructing stimulus sets for experiments on embodied cognition.
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39
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Welsh TN, Reid C, Manson G, Constable MD, Tremblay L. Susceptibility to the fusion illusion is modulated during both action execution and action observation. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2020; 204:103028. [PMID: 32062166 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2020.103028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Many researchers have proposed that when an individual observes the actions of another individual, the observer simulates the action using many of the same neural areas that are involved in action production. The present study was designed to test this simulation hypothesis by comparing the perception of multisensory stimuli during both the execution and observation of an aiming action. The present work used the fusion illusion - an audio-visual illusion in which two visual stimuli presented with one auditory stimulus are erroneously perceived as being one visual stimulus. Previous research has shown that, during action execution, susceptibly to this illusion is reduced early in the execution of the movement when visual information may be more highly weighted than other sensory information. We sought to determine whether or not a non-acting observer of an action showed a similar reduction in susceptibility to the fusion illusion. Participants fixated a target and either executed or observed a manual aiming movement to that target. Audiovisual stimuli were presented at 0, 100, or 200 ms relative to movement onset and participants reported the number of perceived flashes after the movement was completed. Analysis of perceived flashes revealed that participants were less susceptible to the fusion illusion when the stimuli were presented early (100 ms) relative to later in the movement (200 ms). Critically, this pattern emerged in both execution and observation tasks. These findings support the hypothesis that observers simulate the performance of the actor and experience comparable real-time alterations in multisensory processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy N Welsh
- Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, Centre for Motor Control, University of Toronto, Canada.
| | - Connor Reid
- Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, Centre for Motor Control, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Gerome Manson
- Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute
| | | | - Luc Tremblay
- Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, Centre for Motor Control, University of Toronto, Canada
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40
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Farina E, Borgnis F, Pozzo T. Mirror neurons and their relationship with neurodegenerative disorders. J Neurosci Res 2020; 98:1070-1094. [DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Thierry Pozzo
- INSERM UMR1093‐CAPS, Université Bourgogne Franche‐Comté Dijon France
- IT@UniFe Center for Translational Neurophysiology Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Ferrara Italy
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41
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Zhang L, Qiu F, Zhu H, Xiang M, Zhou L. Neural Efficiency and Acquired Motor Skills: An fMRI Study of Expert Athletes. Front Psychol 2019; 10:2752. [PMID: 31866917 PMCID: PMC6908492 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The neural efficiency hypothesis was investigated. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to study the differences in brain activity between athletes imagining performing different movements: basketball athletes imagined throwing and volleyball athletes imagined serving. These comparisons of brain activity among athletes imagining movements from their self-sport (e.g., a basketball throw in basketball athletes) versus movements from other sport (e.g., a volleyball serve in basketball athletes) revealed the neural energy consumption each task costs. The results showed better temporal congruence between motor execution and motor imagery and vividness of motor imagery, but lower levels of activation in the left putamen, inferior parietal lobule, supplementary motor area, postcentral gyrus, and the right insula when both groups of athletes imagined movements from their self-sport compared with when they imagined movements from the other-sport. Athletes were more effective in the representation of the motor sequences and the interoception of the motor sequences for their self-sport. The findings of present study suggest that elite athletes achieved superior behavioral performance with minimal neural energy consumption, thus confirming the neural efficiency hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lanlan Zhang
- Department of Leisure Sports and Management, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fanghui Qiu
- Department of Physical Education, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Hua Zhu
- Department of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Mingqiang Xiang
- Department of Sport and Health, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liangjun Zhou
- Department of Leisure Sports and Management, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, China
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42
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Weiblen R, Jonas M, Krach S, Krämer UM. Social Cognition in Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR NEUROPSYCHOLOGIE 2019. [DOI: 10.1024/1016-264x/a000272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Abstract. Research on the neural mechanisms underlying Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) has mostly concentrated on abnormalities in basal ganglia circuits. Recent alternative accounts, however, focused more on social and affective aspects. Individuals with GTS show peculiarities in their social and affective domain, including echophenomena, coprolalia, and nonobscene socially inappropriate behavior. This article reviews the experimental and theoretical work done on the social symptoms of GTS. We discuss the role of different social cognitive and affective functions and associated brain networks, namely, the social-decision-making system, theory-of-mind functions, and the so-called “mirror-neuron” system. Although GTS affects social interactions in many ways, and although the syndrome includes aberrant social behavior, the underlying cognitive, affective, and neural processes remain to be investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronja Weiblen
- Department of Neurology, University of Lübeck, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Lübeck, Germany
| | - Melanie Jonas
- Department of Human Resources, Health and Social Affairs, Fachhochschule des Mittelstands (FHM), Cologne, Germany
| | - Sören Krach
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Lübeck, Germany
| | - Ulrike M. Krämer
- Department of Neurology, University of Lübeck, Germany
- Institute of Psychology II, University of Lübeck, Germany
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43
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Agopyan H, Griffet J, Poirier T, Bredin J. Modification of knee flexion during walking with use of a real-time personalized avatar. Heliyon 2019; 5:e02797. [PMID: 31844726 PMCID: PMC6895732 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual feedback is used in different research areas, including clinical science and neuroscience. In this study, we investigated the influence of the visualization of a real-time personalized avatar on gait parameters, focusing on knee flexion during the swing phase. We also studied the impact of the modification of avatar's knee amplitude on kinematic of the knee of healthy subjects. For this purpose, we used an immersive reality treadmill equipment and developed a 3D avatar, with instantly modifiable parameters for knee flexion and extension (acceleration or deceleration). Fourteen healthy young adults, equipped with motion capture markers, were asked to walk at a self-selected pace on the treadmill. A real-time 3D image of their lower limbs was modelized and projected on the screen ahead of them, as if in a walking motion from left to right. The subjects were instructed to continue walking. When we initiated an increase in the knee flexion of the avatar, we observed a similar increase in the subjects' knee flexion. No significant results were observed when the modification involved a decrease in knee flexion. The results and their significance are discussed using theories encompassing empathy, sympathy and sensory re-calibration. The prospect of using this type of modified avatar for stroke rehabilitation is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Agopyan
- Université côte d'azur, LAMHESS, Nice, France
| | - J Griffet
- Chirurgie Orthopédique Pédiatrique, Hôpital Couple Enfant, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Grenoble, BP 217, 38043 Grenoble cedex 9, France
| | | | - J Bredin
- Université côte d'azur, LAMHESS, Nice, France.,Centre de Santé Institut Rossetti-PEP06, Unité Clinique d'Analyse du Mouvement, 400, bld de la Madeleine, 06000 Nice, France
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44
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Ceravolo MG, Fabri M, Fattobene L, Polonara G, Raggetti G. Cash, Card or Smartphone: The Neural Correlates of Payment Methods. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:1188. [PMID: 31780885 PMCID: PMC6856651 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.01188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Information technology innovations have pushed toward the digitalization of payments. We carried out an exploratory study to understand if and how brain activity can be modulated by the method of payment (cash, card, and smartphone) or the amount of paid money (10€, 50€, 150€), or both. Sixteen healthy, right-handed, volunteers (eight females) underwent a fMRI session, during which 3 runs were presented with block-designed protocol. Each 5-min run was composed of a standard sequence of 12 videoclips, each lasting 12 s and alternated with 12s-rest periods, displaying a human hand paying, each time, through a different method. When contrasting the BOLD signal change by payment method, a greater activation of the parietal cortex (BA40) and right insula (INS) was observed during the exposure of subjects to videoclips showing payments with cash than with either card or smartphone, with any amount of money. A significant greater activation of the right BA40 was observed with 150€ than 50€ and 10€, as well as of the right INS and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) with 150€ than with 10€, only in the cash condition. This pilot study indicates that cash enhances the salience and negative affective valence of parting with money, as suggested by the greater activity of areas processing the perceived utility of motor behavior (e.g., the parietal cortex), and the individual emotional involvement (e.g., INS). By highlighting that cash payment could represent a stronger self-regulating tool, these findings could be relevant for those interested in regulating compulsive shopping or digital gambling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Gabriella Ceravolo
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy.,Centre for Health Care Management, School of Medicine, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy
| | - Mara Fabri
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy
| | - Lucrezia Fattobene
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy.,Department of Management and Law, School of Economics, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.,Department of Economics, Università Lum Jean Monnet, Casamassima, Italy
| | - Gabriele Polonara
- Department of Odontostomatologic and Specialized Clinical Sciences, School of Medicine, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy
| | - GianMario Raggetti
- Centre for Health Care Management, School of Medicine, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy
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45
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Vergallito A, Lo Gerfo E, Varoli E, Brambilla M, Sacchi S, Anzani S, Romero Lauro LJ. Positive self-perception and corticospinal excitability: Recalling positive behavior expands peripersonal space boundaries. Neuropsychologia 2019; 135:107224. [PMID: 31604069 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.107224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Converging evidence suggests that peripersonal space has dynamic properties, that can be influenced by motor and cognitive factors. Here, we investigated whether changes in self-perception may impact upon peripersonal representation. Specifically, employing non-invasive brain stimulation, we tested whether corticospinal excitability elicited by objects placed in the vertical peripersonal vs extrapersonal space can be influenced by changes in self-perception after recalling a personal experience inducing the feeling of high power (vs. positivity vs. low power). In a preliminary study (Study 1, N = 39) participants were presented with an object, whose position was manipulated in the horizontal vs vertical space. We assessed corticospinal excitability by measuring Motor Evoked Potentials (MEPs) using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation with Electromyography co-registration (TMS-EMG). In the horizontal condition, we replicated the well-known motor facilitation induced by objects falling in the peri vs extrapersonal space, while in the vertical dimension MEPs were higher in the extrapersonal space. In the main experiment (Study 2), participants (N = 55) were randomly assigned to feel high power, low power, or a general positive emotion and were asked to observe the same object positioned either in the peripersonal or in the extrapersonal vertical space. Results showed that in the low power condition MEPs were higher in the extrapersonal vs peripersonal, as in Study 1, while in high power and positive conditions MEPs were not influenced by distance. Taken together, our findings suggest a dissociable pattern of motor facilitation underlying vertical vs horizontal space perception and, crucially, that changes in self-perception can influence such a representation.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Vergallito
- University of Milano Bicocca, Department of Psychology, Italy
| | - E Lo Gerfo
- Clinical Psychology Service of Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and Advanced Specialized Therapies (IRCSS IsMeTT) Palermo, Italy; NeuroMI - Milan Center for Neuroscience, Italy
| | - E Varoli
- Clinical Psychology Service of Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and Advanced Specialized Therapies (IRCSS IsMeTT) Palermo, Italy; University of Milano Bicocca, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Italy
| | - M Brambilla
- University of Milano Bicocca, Department of Psychology, Italy
| | - S Sacchi
- University of Milano Bicocca, Department of Psychology, Italy
| | - S Anzani
- University of Chieti-Pescara "G. D'Annunzio", Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, Italy
| | - L J Romero Lauro
- University of Milano Bicocca, Department of Psychology, Italy; NeuroMI - Milan Center for Neuroscience, Italy.
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46
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Pérez-Gay Juárez F, Labrecque D, Frak V. Assessing language-induced motor activity through Event Related Potentials and the Grip Force Sensor, an exploratory study. Brain Cogn 2019; 135:103572. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2019.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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47
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Kubicek E, Quandt LC. Sensorimotor system engagement during ASL sign perception: An EEG study in deaf signers and hearing non-signers. Cortex 2019; 119:457-469. [PMID: 31505437 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2019.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Revised: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
When a person observes someone else performing an action, the observer's sensorimotor cortex activates as if the observer is the one performing the action, a phenomenon known as action simulation. While this process has been well-established for basic (e.g., grasping) and complex (e.g., dancing) actions, it remains unknown if the framework of action simulation is applicable to visual languages such as American Sign Language (ASL). We conducted an EEG experiment with deaf signers and hearing non-signers to compare overall sensorimotor EEG between groups, and to test whether sensorimotor systems are differentially sensitive to signs that are produced with one hand ("1H") or two hands ("2H"). We predicted greater alpha and beta event-related desynchronization (previously correlated with action simulation) during the perception of 2H ASL signs compared to 1H ASL signs, due to greater demands on sensorimotor processing systems required for producing two-handed actions. We recorded EEG from both groups as they observed videos of ASL signs, half 1H and half 2H. Event-related spectral perturbations (ERSPs) in the alpha and beta ranges were computed for the two conditions at central electrode sites overlying the sensorimotor cortex. Sensorimotor EEG responses in both Hearing and Deaf groups were sensitive to the observed gross motor characteristics of the observed signs. We show for the first time that despite hearing non-signers showing overall more sensorimotor cortex involvement during sign observation, mirroring-related processes are in fact involved when deaf signers observe signs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Kubicek
- Educational Neuroscience Program, Gallaudet University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Lorna C Quandt
- Educational Neuroscience Program, Gallaudet University, Washington, DC, USA; Department of Psychology, Gallaudet University, Washington, DC, USA.
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48
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Errante A, Bozzetti F, Sghedoni S, Bressi B, Costi S, Crisi G, Ferrari A, Fogassi L. Explicit Motor Imagery for Grasping Actions in Children With Spastic Unilateral Cerebral Palsy. Front Neurol 2019; 10:837. [PMID: 31447762 PMCID: PMC6692593 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.00837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Motor Imagery (MI) refers to mental simulation of a motor action without producing any overt movement. Previous studies showed that children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy (UCP) are impaired in implicit MI, as demonstrated by the performance of Hand Laterality Judgment tasks. The aim of this study was to examine the specificity of explicit MI deficits in UCP children. Methods: A group of UCP children (n = 10; aged 9-14) performed a mental chronometry task consisting in grasping an object and placing it into a container, or in imagining to perform the same action. As control, a group of typically developing (TD) children, matched by age, performed the same task. Movement durations for executed and imagined trials were recorded. A subgroup of 7 UCP children and 10 TD children also underwent a session of functional MRI to examine the activation of parieto-frontal areas typically associated to MI processes, during the imagination of reaching-grasping actions performed with the paretic hand. Results: Behavioral results revealed the existence of a correlation between executed and imagined movement durations both in TD and UCP groups. Moreover, the regression analysis in TD children showed that higher scores in mental chronometry tasks were positively correlated to increased bilateral activation of the intraparietal sulcus (IPS), superior parietal lobule (SPL), and dorsal premotor (PMd) cortex. A similar analysis revealed in the UCP group a positive correlation between a higher score in the mental chronometry task and bilateral activations of IPS, and to activation of contralesional, right PMd, and putamen during imagination of grasping movements. Conclusions: These results provide new insights on the relationship between MI capacity and motor deficits in UCP children, suggesting the possibility of the use of explicit MI training to improve patient's upper limb motor functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonino Errante
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Francesca Bozzetti
- Neuroradiology Unit, Department of Diagnostic, University Hospital of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Silvia Sghedoni
- Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale - IRCCS of Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Barbara Bressi
- Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale - IRCCS of Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Stefania Costi
- Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale - IRCCS of Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Girolamo Crisi
- Neuroradiology Unit, Department of Diagnostic, University Hospital of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Adriano Ferrari
- Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale - IRCCS of Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Leonardo Fogassi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
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49
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Quadrelli E, Roberti E, Turati C, Craighero L. Observation of the point-light animation of a grasping hand activates sensorimotor cortex in nine-month-old infants. Cortex 2019; 119:373-385. [PMID: 31401422 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2019.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Revised: 05/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Measuring changes in sensorimotor alpha band activity in nine-month-old infants we sought to understand the involvement of the sensorimotor cortex during observation of the Point-Light (PL) animation of a grasping hand. Attenuation of alpha activity was found both when the PL display moved towards the to-be-grasped object and when the object was deleted from the video. Before the beginning of the movement of the PL stimuli, only in the presence of the object evoked attenuation of sensorimotor alpha activity was documented, possibly interpreted either as movement prediction or as graspable object perception. Our main findings demonstrate that, during observation of stimuli moving with biological kinematics, the infants' sensorimotor system is activated when the pictorial information is absent or highly reduced, and independently of the presence of the goal-directed object. The possible compensatory function of the sensorimotor system during observation of highly degraded moving stimuli is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ermanno Quadrelli
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy; NeuroMI, Milan Center for Neuroscience, Italy
| | - Elisa Roberti
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy; NeuroMI, Milan Center for Neuroscience, Italy
| | - Chiara Turati
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy; NeuroMI, Milan Center for Neuroscience, Italy
| | - Laila Craighero
- Department of Biomedical and Specialty Surgical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Italy.
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50
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Oh H, Braun AR, Reggia JA, Gentili RJ. Fronto-parietal mirror neuron system modeling: Visuospatial transformations support imitation learning independently of imitator perspective. Hum Mov Sci 2019; 65:S0167-9457(17)30942-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.humov.2018.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Revised: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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