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Cai Y, Yang H, Wang X, Xiong Z, Kühn S, Bi Y, Wei K. Neural correlates of an illusionary sense of agency caused by virtual reality. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhad547. [PMID: 38365271 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad547] [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: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Sense of agency (SoA) is the sensation that self-actions lead to ensuing perceptual consequences. The prospective mechanism emphasizes that SoA arises from motor prediction and its comparison with actual action outcomes, while the reconstructive mechanism stresses that SoA emerges from retrospective causal processing about the action outcomes. Consistent with the prospective mechanism, motor planning regions were identified by neuroimaging studies using the temporal binding (TB) effect, a behavioral measure often linked to implicit SoA. Yet, TB also occurs during passive observation of another's action, lending support to the reconstructive mechanism, but its neural correlates remain unexplored. Here, we employed virtual reality (VR) to modulate such observation-based SoA and examined it with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). After manipulating an avatar hand in VR, participants passively observed an avatar's "action" and showed a significant increase in TB. The binding effect was associated with the right angular gyrus and inferior parietal lobule, which are critical nodes for inferential and agency processing. These results suggest that the experience of controlling an avatar may potentiate inferential processing within the right inferior parietal cortex and give rise to the illusionary SoA without voluntary action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyang Cai
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Key Laboratory of Machine Perception (Ministry of Education), Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Huichao Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Xiaosha Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Ziyi Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Simone Kühn
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
- Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Yanchao Bi
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Kunlin Wei
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Key Laboratory of Machine Perception (Ministry of Education), Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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The effect of action contingency on social perception is independent of person-like appearance and is related to deactivation of the frontal component of the self-agency network. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17326. [PMID: 36243835 PMCID: PMC9568912 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-22278-x] [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: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The detection of object movement that is contingent on one's own actions (i.e., movements with action contingency) influences social perception of the object; such interactive objects tend to create a good impression. However, it remains unclear whether neural representation of action contingency is associated with subsequent socio-cognitive evaluation of "contacting agents", or whether the appearance of agents (e.g., face- or non-face-like avatars) is essential for this effect. In this study, we conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) task with two phases: contact (contact with face- or non-face-like avatars moving contingently or non-contingently) and recognition (rating a static image of each avatar). Deactivation of the frontoparietal self-agency network and activation of the reward network were the main effects of action contingency during the contact phase, consistent with previous findings. During the recognition phase, static avatars that had previously moved in a contingent manner deactivated the frontal component of the frontoparietal network (bilateral insula and inferior-middle frontal gyri), regardless of person-like appearance. Our results imply that frontal deactivation may underlie the effect of action contingency on subsequent social perception, independent of person-like appearance.
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Sugiura M. Adaptability, supernaturalness, and the neurocognitive basis of the self-transcendence trait: Toward an integrated framework through disaster psychology and a self-agency model. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:943809. [PMID: 36062259 PMCID: PMC9435587 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.943809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Motoaki Sugiura
- Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- *Correspondence: Motoaki Sugiura
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Charalampaki A, Ninija Karabanov A, Ritterband-Rosenbaum A, Bo Nielsen J, Roman Siebner H, Schram Christensen M. Sense of agency as synecdoche: Multiple neurobiological mechanisms may underlie the phenomenon summarized as sense of agency. Conscious Cogn 2022; 101:103307. [PMID: 35447600 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2022.103307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies on the sense of agency (SoA) have yielded heterogeneous findings identifying regional brain activity during tasks that probed SoA. In this review, we argue that the reason behind this between-study heterogeneity is a "synecdochic" way the field conceptualizes and studies SoA. Typically, a single feature is experimentally manipulated and then this is interpreted as covering all aspects of SoA. The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of the fMRI studies of SoA and attempt to provide meaningful categories whereby the heterogeneous findings may be classified. This classification is based on a separation of the experimental paradigms (Feedback Manipulations of ongoing movements, Action-Effect, and Sensory Attenuation) and type of report employed (implicit, explicit reports of graded or dichotic nature, and whether these concern self-other distinctions or sense of control). We only find that Feedback Manipulation and Action-Effect share common activation in supplementary motor area, insula and cerebellum in positive SoA and inferior frontal gyrus in the negative SoA, but observe large networks related to SoA only in Feedback Manipulation studies. To illustrate the advantages of this approach, we discuss the findings from an fMRI study which we conducted, within this framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angeliki Charalampaki
- Department of Neuroscience, Christensen Lab, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research Copenhagen University Hospital Amager and Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark.
| | - Anke Ninija Karabanov
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research Copenhagen University Hospital Amager and Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark; Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anina Ritterband-Rosenbaum
- Department of Neuroscience, Christensen Lab, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; The Elsass Foundation, Charlottenlund, Denmark
| | - Jens Bo Nielsen
- Department of Neuroscience, Christensen Lab, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; The Elsass Foundation, Charlottenlund, Denmark
| | - Hartwig Roman Siebner
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research Copenhagen University Hospital Amager and Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark; Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark; Institute for Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Ramage AE, Ray KL, Franz HM, Tate DF, Lewis JD, Robin DA. Cingulo-Opercular and Frontoparietal Network Control of Effort and Fatigue in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 15:788091. [PMID: 35221951 PMCID: PMC8866657 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.788091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural substrates of fatigue in traumatic brain injury (TBI) are not well understood despite the considerable burden of fatigue on return to productivity. Fatigue is associated with diminishing performance under conditions of high cognitive demand, sense of effort, or need for motivation, all of which are associated with cognitive control brain network integrity. We hypothesize that the pathophysiology of TBI results in damage to diffuse cognitive control networks, disrupting coordination of moment-to-moment monitoring, prediction, and regulation of behavior. We investigate the cingulo-opercular (CO) and frontoparietal (FP) networks, which are engaged to sustain attention for task and maintain performance. A total of 61 individuals with mild TBI and 42 orthopedic control subjects participated in functional MRI during performance of a constant effort task requiring altering the amount of effort (25, 50, or 75% of maximum effort) utilized to manually squeeze a pneumostatic bulb across six 30-s trials. Network-based statistics assessed within-network organization and fluctuation with task manipulations by group. Results demonstrate small group differences in network organization, but considerable group differences in the evolution of task-related modulation of connectivity. The mild TBI group demonstrated elevated CO connectivity throughout the task with little variation in effort level or time on task (TOT), while CO connectivity diminished over time in controls. Several interregional CO connections were predictive of fatigue in the TBI group. In contrast, FP connectivity fluctuated with task manipulations and predicted fatigue in the controls, but connectivity fluctuations were delayed in the mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) group and did not relate to fatigue. Thus, the mTBI group's hyper-connectivity of the CO irrespective of task demands, along with hypo-connectivity and delayed peak connectivity of the FP, may allow for attainment of task goals, but also contributes to fatigue. Findings are discussed in relation to performance monitoring of prediction error that relies on internal cues from sensorimotor feedback during task performance. Delay or inability to detect and respond to prediction errors in TBI, particularly evident in bilateral insula-temporal CO connectivity, corresponds to day-to-day fatigue and fatigue during task performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy E. Ramage
- Interdisciplinary Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and Biological Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, United States
| | - Kimberly L. Ray
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Hannah M. Franz
- Interdisciplinary Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and Biological Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, United States
| | - David F. Tate
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Jeffrey D. Lewis
- Mental Health Clinic, Wright Patterson Medical Center, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, OH, United States
| | - Donald A. Robin
- Interdisciplinary Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and Biological Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, United States
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[The sensorimotor domain in the research domain criteria system: progress and perspectives]. DER NERVENARZT 2021; 92:915-924. [PMID: 34115150 DOI: 10.1007/s00115-021-01144-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Over the past three decades research interest in hypokinetic, hyperkinetic, sensorimotor and psychomotor abnormalities in mental disorders has steadily increased. This development has led to an increasing number of scientific initiatives that have not only highlighted the clinical need for early detection of extrapyramidal motor symptoms, tardive dyskinesia and catatonia but also provided numerous neurobiological findings and clinically relevant results based on the pathology of the sensorimotor system in patients with mental disorders. In view of these developments in January 2019 the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) research domain criteria (RDoC) initiative introduced a sixth domain called the sensorimotor domain to address deficits in the sensorimotor system and associated behavioral abnormalities. To draw attention to the rapid progress just since the introduction of the sensorimotor domain, a 2-year (1 January 2019-18 February 2021) systematic review is presented highlighting recent neuroimaging findings and discussing challenges for future research. In summary, aberrant sensorimotor processing in mental disorders is associated with dysfunction of the cerebello-thalamo-motor cortex network, which interacts with (social)cognitive and affective systems. Initial longitudinal and interventional studies highlight the translational potential of the sensorimotor domain.
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The Potential Role of Dopamine in Mediating Motor Function and Interpersonal Synchrony. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9040382. [PMID: 33916451 PMCID: PMC8066519 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9040382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Motor functions in general and motor planning in particular are crucial for our ability to synchronize our movements with those of others. To date, these co-occurring functions have been studied separately, and as yet it is unclear whether they share a common biological mechanism. Here, we synthesize disparate recent findings on motor functioning and interpersonal synchrony and propose that these two functions share a common neurobiological mechanism and adhere to the same principles of predictive coding. Critically, we describe the pivotal role of the dopaminergic system in modulating these two distinct functions. We present attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as an example of a disorder that involves the dopaminergic system and describe deficits in motor and interpersonal synchrony. Finally, we suggest possible directions for future studies emphasizing the role of dopamine modulation as a link between social and motor functioning.
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Piras F, Vecchio D, Ciullo V, Gili T, Banaj N, Piras F, Spalletta G. Sense of external agency is sustained by multisensory functional integration in the somatosensory cortex. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:4024-4040. [PMID: 32667099 PMCID: PMC7469779 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
"Sense of agency" (SoA), the feeling of control for events caused by one's own actions, is deceived by visuomotor incongruence. Sensorimotor networks are implicated in SoA, however little evidence exists on brain functionality during agency processing. Concurrently, it has been suggested that the brain's intrinsic resting-state (rs) activity has a preliminary influence on processing of agency cues. Here, we investigated the relation between performance in an agency attribution task and functional interactions among brain regions as derived by network analysis of rs functional magnetic resonance imaging. The action-effect delay was adaptively increased (range 90-1,620 ms) and behavioral measures correlated to indices of cognitive processes and appraised self-concepts. They were then regressed on local metrics of rs brain functional connectivity as to isolate the core areas enabling self-agency. Across subjects, the time window for self-agency was 90-625 ms, while the action-effect integration was impacted by self-evaluated personality traits. Neurally, the brain intrinsic organization sustaining consistency in self-agency attribution was characterized by high connectiveness in the secondary visual cortex, and regional segregation in the primary somatosensory area. Decreased connectiveness in the secondary visual area, regional segregation in the superior parietal lobule, and information control within a primary visual cortex-frontal eye fields network sustained self-agency over long-delayed effects. We thus demonstrate that self-agency is grounded on the intrinsic mode of brain function designed to organize information for visuomotor integration. Our observation is relevant for current models of psychopathology in clinical conditions in which both rs activity and sense of agency are altered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Piras
- Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, Neuropsychiatry LaboratoryIRCCS Santa Lucia FoundationRomeItaly
| | - Daniela Vecchio
- Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, Neuropsychiatry LaboratoryIRCCS Santa Lucia FoundationRomeItaly
| | - Valentina Ciullo
- Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, Neuropsychiatry LaboratoryIRCCS Santa Lucia FoundationRomeItaly
| | - Tommaso Gili
- Networks Unit, IMT School for Advanced StudiesLuccaItaly
| | - Nerisa Banaj
- Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, Neuropsychiatry LaboratoryIRCCS Santa Lucia FoundationRomeItaly
| | - Fabrizio Piras
- Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, Neuropsychiatry LaboratoryIRCCS Santa Lucia FoundationRomeItaly
| | - Gianfranco Spalletta
- Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, Neuropsychiatry LaboratoryIRCCS Santa Lucia FoundationRomeItaly
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTexasUSA
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Press C, Kok P, Yon D. The Perceptual Prediction Paradox. Trends Cogn Sci 2020; 24:13-24. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2019.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Revised: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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