1
|
Bianco V, Finisguerra A, D'Argenio G, Boscarol S, Urgesi C. Contextual expectations shape the motor coding of movement kinematics during the prediction of observed actions: A TMS study. Neuroimage 2024; 297:120702. [PMID: 38909762 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120702] [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: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Contextual information may shape motor resonance and support intention understanding during observation of incomplete, ambiguous actions. It is unclear, however, whether this effect is contingent upon kinematics ambiguity or contextual information is continuously integrated with kinematics to predict the overarching action intention. Moreover, a differentiation between the motor mapping of the intention suggested by context or kinematics has not been clearly demonstrated. In a first action execution phase, 29 participants were asked to perform reaching-to-grasp movements towards big or small food objects with the intention to eat or to move; electromyography from the First Dorsal Interosseous (FDI) and Abductor Digiti Minimi (ADM) was recorded. Depending on object size, the intentions to eat or to move were differently implemented by a whole-hand or a precision grip kinematics, thus qualifying an action-muscle dissociation. Then, in a following action prediction task, the same participants were asked to observe an actor performing the same actions and to predict his/her intention while motor resonance was assessed for the same muscles. Of note, videos were interrupted at early or late action phases, and actions were embedded in contexts pointing toward an eating or a moving intention, congruently or incongruently with kinematics. We found greater involvement of the FDI or ADM in the execution of precision or whole-hand grips, respectively. Crucially, this pattern of activation was mirrored during observation of the same actions in congruent contexts, but it was cancelled out or reversed in the incongruent ones, either when videos were interrupted at either early or long phases of action deployment. Our results extend previous evidence by showing that contextual information shapes motor resonance not only under conditions of perceptual uncertainty but also when more informative kinematics is available.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Bianco
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, Udine, Italy.
| | | | - Giulia D'Argenio
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, Udine, Italy; Fondazione Progettoautismo FVG Onlus, Feletto Umberto, Udine, Italy
| | - Sara Boscarol
- Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, Pasian di Prato, Udine, Italy; University of Camerino, Center for Neuroscience, Camerino, Italy
| | - Cosimo Urgesi
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, Udine, Italy; Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, Pasian di Prato, Udine, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Vescovo E, Cardellicchio P, Tomassini A, Fadiga L, D'Ausilio A. Excitatory/inhibitory motor balance reflects individual differences during joint action coordination. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:3403-3421. [PMID: 38666628 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16365] [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: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Joint action (JA) is a continuous process of motor co-regulation based on the integration of contextual (top-down) and kinematic (bottom-up) cues from partners. The fine equilibrium between excitation and inhibition in sensorimotor circuits is, thus, central to such a dynamic process of action selection and execution. In a bimanual task adapted to become a unimanual JA task, the participant held a bottle (JA), while a confederate had to reach and unscrew either that bottle or another stabilized by a mechanical clamp (No_JA). Prior knowledge was manipulated in each trial such that the participant knew (K) or not (No_K) the target bottle in advance. Online transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was administered at action-relevant landmarks to explore corticospinal excitability (CSE) and inhibition (cortical silent period [cSP]). CSE was modulated early on before the action started if prior information was available. In contrast, cSP modulation emerged later during the reaching action, regardless of prior information. These two indexes could thus reflect the concurrent elaboration of contextual priors (top-down) and the online sampling of partner's kinematic cues (bottom-up). Furthermore, participants selected either one of two possible behavioural strategies, preferring early or late force exertion on the bottle. One translates into a reduced risk of motor coordination failure and the other into reduced metabolic expenditure. Each strategy was characterised by a specific excitatory/inhibitory profile. In conclusion, the study of excitatory/inhibitory balance paves the way for the neurophysiological determination of individual differences in the combination of top-down and bottom-up processing during JA coordination.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Vescovo
- Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Ferrara, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Physiology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Pasquale Cardellicchio
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Physiology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Alice Tomassini
- Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Luciano Fadiga
- Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Ferrara, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Physiology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Alessandro D'Ausilio
- Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Ferrara, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Physiology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Dolfini E, Cardellicchio P, Fadiga L, D'Ausilio A. The role of dorsal premotor cortex in joint action inhibition. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4675. [PMID: 38409309 PMCID: PMC10897189 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54448-4] [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: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Behavioral interpersonal coordination requires smooth negotiation of actions in time and space (joint action-JA). Inhibitory control may play a role in fine-tuning appropriate coordinative responses. To date, little research has been conducted on motor inhibition during JA and on the modulatory influence that premotor areas might exert on inhibitory control. Here, we used an interactive task in which subjects were required to reach and open a bottle using one hand. The bottle was held and stabilized by a co-actor (JA) or by a mechanical holder (vice clamp, no-JA). We recorded two TMS-based indices of inhibition (short-interval intracortical inhibition-sICI; cortical silent period-cSP) during the reaching phase of the task. These reflect fast intracortical (GABAa-mediated) and slow corticospinal (GABAb-mediated) inhibition. Offline continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) was used to interfere with dorsal premotor cortex (PMd), ventral premotor cortex (PMv), and control site (vertex) before the execution of the task. Our results confirm a dissociation between fast and slow inhibition during JA coordination and provide evidence that premotor areas drive only slow inhibitory mechanisms, which in turn may reflect behavioral co-adaptation between trials. Exploratory analyses further suggest that PMd, more than PMv, is the key source of modulatory drive sculpting movements, according to the socio-interactive context.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Dolfini
- Department of Neurosciences and Rehabilitation Section of Physiology, Università di Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121, Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Pasquale Cardellicchio
- Department of Neurosciences and Rehabilitation Section of Physiology, Università di Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Luciano Fadiga
- IIT@UniFe Center for Translational Neurophysiology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
- Department of Neurosciences and Rehabilitation Section of Physiology, Università di Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Alessandro D'Ausilio
- IIT@UniFe Center for Translational Neurophysiology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
- Department of Neurosciences and Rehabilitation Section of Physiology, Università di Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Bruel A, Abadía I, Collin T, Sakr I, Lorach H, Luque NR, Ros E, Ijspeert A. The spinal cord facilitates cerebellar upper limb motor learning and control; inputs from neuromusculoskeletal simulation. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1011008. [PMID: 38166093 PMCID: PMC10786408 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011008] [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: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Complex interactions between brain regions and the spinal cord (SC) govern body motion, which is ultimately driven by muscle activation. Motor planning or learning are mainly conducted at higher brain regions, whilst the SC acts as a brain-muscle gateway and as a motor control centre providing fast reflexes and muscle activity regulation. Thus, higher brain areas need to cope with the SC as an inherent and evolutionary older part of the body dynamics. Here, we address the question of how SC dynamics affects motor learning within the cerebellum; in particular, does the SC facilitate cerebellar motor learning or constitute a biological constraint? We provide an exploratory framework by integrating biologically plausible cerebellar and SC computational models in a musculoskeletal upper limb control loop. The cerebellar model, equipped with the main form of cerebellar plasticity, provides motor adaptation; whilst the SC model implements stretch reflex and reciprocal inhibition between antagonist muscles. The resulting spino-cerebellar model is tested performing a set of upper limb motor tasks, including external perturbation studies. A cerebellar model, lacking the implemented SC model and directly controlling the simulated muscles, was also tested in the same. The performances of the spino-cerebellar and cerebellar models were then compared, thus allowing directly addressing the SC influence on cerebellar motor adaptation and learning, and on handling external motor perturbations. Performance was assessed in both joint and muscle space, and compared with kinematic and EMG recordings from healthy participants. The differences in cerebellar synaptic adaptation between both models were also studied. We conclude that the SC facilitates cerebellar motor learning; when the SC circuits are in the loop, faster convergence in motor learning is achieved with simpler cerebellar synaptic weight distributions. The SC is also found to improve robustness against external perturbations, by better reproducing and modulating muscle cocontraction patterns.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alice Bruel
- Biorobotics Laboratory, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ignacio Abadía
- Research Centre for Information and Communication Technologies, Department of Computer Engineering, Automation and Robotics, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | | | - Icare Sakr
- NeuroRestore, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Niceto R. Luque
- Research Centre for Information and Communication Technologies, Department of Computer Engineering, Automation and Robotics, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Eduardo Ros
- Research Centre for Information and Communication Technologies, Department of Computer Engineering, Automation and Robotics, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Torricelli F, Tomassini A, Pezzulo G, Pozzo T, Fadiga L, D'Ausilio A. Actions are all we need for cognition, but do we know enough about them?: Reply to comments on "Motor invariants in action execution and perception". Phys Life Rev 2023; 47:30-32. [PMID: 37690326 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2023.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Torricelli
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Italian Institute of Technology, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Alice Tomassini
- Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Italian Institute of Technology, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Giovanni Pezzulo
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Via San Martino della Battaglia 44, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Thierry Pozzo
- Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Italian Institute of Technology, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; INSERM UMR1093-CAPS, UFR des Sciences du Sport, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000, Dijon, France
| | - Luciano Fadiga
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Italian Institute of Technology, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Alessandro D'Ausilio
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Italian Institute of Technology, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Kohler N, Novembre G, Gugnowska K, Keller PE, Villringer A, Sammler D. Cortico-cerebellar audio-motor regions coordinate self and other in musical joint action. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:2804-2822. [PMID: 35771593 PMCID: PMC10016054 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac243] [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: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Joint music performance requires flexible sensorimotor coordination between self and other. Cognitive and sensory parameters of joint action-such as shared knowledge or temporal (a)synchrony-influence this coordination by shifting the balance between self-other segregation and integration. To investigate the neural bases of these parameters and their interaction during joint action, we asked pianists to play on an MR-compatible piano, in duet with a partner outside of the scanner room. Motor knowledge of the partner's musical part and the temporal compatibility of the partner's action feedback were manipulated. First, we found stronger activity and functional connectivity within cortico-cerebellar audio-motor networks when pianists had practiced their partner's part before. This indicates that they simulated and anticipated the auditory feedback of the partner by virtue of an internal model. Second, we observed stronger cerebellar activity and reduced behavioral adaptation when pianists encountered subtle asynchronies between these model-based anticipations and the perceived sensory outcome of (familiar) partner actions, indicating a shift towards self-other segregation. These combined findings demonstrate that cortico-cerebellar audio-motor networks link motor knowledge and other-produced sounds depending on cognitive and sensory factors of the joint performance, and play a crucial role in balancing self-other integration and segregation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Kohler
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstr. 1a, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Research Group Neurocognition of Music and Language, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Grüneburgweg 14, 60322 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Giacomo Novembre
- Neuroscience of Perception and Action Laboratory, Italian Institute of Technology, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Katarzyna Gugnowska
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstr. 1a, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Research Group Neurocognition of Music and Language, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Grüneburgweg 14, 60322 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Peter E Keller
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Universitetsbyen 3, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith NSW 2751, Australia
| | - Arno Villringer
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstr. 1a, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Daniela Sammler
- Corresponding author: Daniela Sammler, MPI for Empirical Aesthetics, Grüneburgweg 14, 60322 Frankfurt/M., Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Torricelli F, Tomassini A, Pezzulo G, Pozzo T, Fadiga L, D'Ausilio A. Motor invariants in action execution and perception. Phys Life Rev 2023; 44:13-47. [PMID: 36462345 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2022.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The nervous system is sensitive to statistical regularities of the external world and forms internal models of these regularities to predict environmental dynamics. Given the inherently social nature of human behavior, being capable of building reliable predictive models of others' actions may be essential for successful interaction. While social prediction might seem to be a daunting task, the study of human motor control has accumulated ample evidence that our movements follow a series of kinematic invariants, which can be used by observers to reduce their uncertainty during social exchanges. Here, we provide an overview of the most salient regularities that shape biological motion, examine the role of these invariants in recognizing others' actions, and speculate that anchoring socially-relevant perceptual decisions to such kinematic invariants provides a key computational advantage for inferring conspecifics' goals and intentions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Torricelli
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Italian Institute of Technology, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Alice Tomassini
- Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Italian Institute of Technology, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Giovanni Pezzulo
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Via San Martino della Battaglia 44, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Thierry Pozzo
- Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Italian Institute of Technology, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; INSERM UMR1093-CAPS, UFR des Sciences du Sport, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000, Dijon, France
| | - Luciano Fadiga
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Italian Institute of Technology, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Alessandro D'Ausilio
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Italian Institute of Technology, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Developmental Coordination Disorder: State of the Art and Future Directions from a Neurophysiological Perspective. CHILDREN 2022; 9:children9070945. [PMID: 35883929 PMCID: PMC9318843 DOI: 10.3390/children9070945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is a common neurodevelopmental condition characterized by disabling motor impairments being visible from the first years of life. Over recent decades, research in this field has gained important results, showing alterations in several processes involved in the regulation of motor behavior (e.g., planning and monitoring of actions, motor learning, action imitation). However, these studies mostly pursued a behavioral approach, leaving relevant questions open concerning the neural correlates of this condition. In this narrative review, we first survey the literature on motor control and sensorimotor impairments in DCD. Then, we illustrate the contributions to the field that may be achieved using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the motor cortex. While still rarely employed in DCD research, this approach offers several opportunities, ranging from the clarification of low-level cortical electrophysiology to the assessment of the motor commands transmitted throughout the corticospinal system. We propose that TMS may help to investigate the neural correlates of motor impairments reported in behavioral studies, thus guiding DCD research toward a brain-oriented acknowledgment of this condition. This effort would help translational research to provide novel diagnostic and therapeutic tools.
Collapse
|
9
|
Garcia-Pelegrin E, Wilkins C, Clayton NS. Investigating expert performance when observing magic effects. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5141. [PMID: 35332232 PMCID: PMC8948259 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09161-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of magic effects to investigate the blind spots in attention and perception and roadblocks in the cognition of the spectator has yielded thought-provoking results elucidating how these techniques operate. However, little is known about the interplay between experience practising magic and being deceived by magic effects. In this study, we performed two common sleight of hand effects and their real transfer counterparts to non-magicians, and to magicians with a diverse range of experience practising magic. Although, as a group, magicians identified the sleights of hand as deceptive actions significantly more than non-magicians; this ability was only evidenced in magicians with more than 5 years in the craft. However, unlike the rest of the participants, experienced magicians had difficulty correctly pinpointing the location of the coin in one of the real transfers presented. We hypothesise that this might be due to the inherent ambiguity of this transfer, in which, contrary to the other real transfer performed, no clear perceptive clue is given about the location of the coin. We suggest that extensive time practising magic might have primed experienced magicians to anticipate foul play when observing ambiguous movements, even when the actions observed are genuine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Clive Wilkins
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Nicola S Clayton
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
de’Sperati C, Granato M, Moretti M. If You Are Old, Videos Look Slow. The Paradoxical Effect of Age-Related Motor Decline on the Kinematic Interpretation of Visual Scenes. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 15:783090. [PMID: 35069153 PMCID: PMC8766849 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.783090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Perception and action are tightly coupled. However, there is still little recognition of how individual motor constraints impact perception in everyday life. Here we asked whether and how the motor slowing that accompanies aging influences the sense of visual speed. Ninety-four participants aged between 18 and 90 judged the natural speed of video clips reproducing real human or physical motion (SoS, Sense-of-Speed adjustment task). They also performed a finger tapping task and a visual search task, which estimated their motor speed and visuospatial attention speed, respectively. Remarkably, aged people judged videos to be too slow (speed underestimation), as compared to younger people: the Point of Subjective Equality (PSE), which estimated the speed bias in the SoS task, was +4% in young adults (<40), +12% in old adults (40–70) and +16% in elders. On average, PSE increased with age at a rate of 0.2% per year, with perceptual precision, adjustment rate, and completion time progressively worsening. Crucially, low motor speed, but not low attentional speed, turned out to be the key predictor of video speed underestimation. These findings suggest the existence of a counterintuitive compensatory coupling between action and perception in judging dynamic scenes, an effect that becomes particularly germane during aging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claudio de’Sperati
- Laboratory of Action, Perception and Cognition, School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
- *Correspondence: Claudio de’Sperati
| | - Marco Granato
- Laboratory of Action, Perception and Cognition, School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
- Department of Computer Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Michela Moretti
- Laboratory of Action, Perception and Cognition, School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Ossmy O, Han D, Kaplan BE, Xu M, Bianco C, Mukamel R, Adolph KE. Children do not distinguish efficient from inefficient actions during observation. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18106. [PMID: 34518566 PMCID: PMC8438080 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97354-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Observation is a powerful way to learn efficient actions from others. However, the role of observers' motor skill in assessing efficiency of others is unknown. Preschoolers are notoriously poor at performing multi-step actions like grasping the handle of a tool. Preschoolers (N = 22) and adults (N = 22) watched video-recorded actors perform efficient and inefficient tool use. Eye tracking showed that preschoolers and adults looked equally long at the videos, but adults looked longer than children at how actors grasped the tool. Deep learning analyses of participants' eye gaze distinguished efficient from inefficient grasps for adults, but not for children. Moreover, only adults showed differential action-related pupil dilation and neural activity (suppressed oscillation power in the mu frequency) while observing efficient vs. inefficient grasps. Thus, children observe multi-step actions without "seeing" whether the initial step is efficient. Findings suggest that observer's own motor efficiency determines whether they can perceive action efficiency in others.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ori Ossmy
- Department of Psychology, Center for Neural Science, New York University, 6 Washington Place, Room 403, New York, NY, 10003, USA.
| | - Danyang Han
- Department of Psychology, Center for Neural Science, New York University, 6 Washington Place, Room 403, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - Brianna E Kaplan
- Department of Psychology, Center for Neural Science, New York University, 6 Washington Place, Room 403, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - Melody Xu
- Department of Psychology, Center for Neural Science, New York University, 6 Washington Place, Room 403, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - Catherine Bianco
- Department of Psychology, Center for Neural Science, New York University, 6 Washington Place, Room 403, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - Roy Mukamel
- School of Psychological Sciences, Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Karen E Adolph
- Department of Psychology, Center for Neural Science, New York University, 6 Washington Place, Room 403, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Kemmerer D. What modulates the Mirror Neuron System during action observation?: Multiple factors involving the action, the actor, the observer, the relationship between actor and observer, and the context. Prog Neurobiol 2021; 205:102128. [PMID: 34343630 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2021.102128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Seeing an agent perform an action typically triggers a motor simulation of that action in the observer's Mirror Neuron System (MNS). Over the past few years, it has become increasingly clear that during action observation the patterns and strengths of responses in the MNS are modulated by multiple factors. The first aim of this paper is therefore to provide the most comprehensive survey to date of these factors. To that end, 22 distinct factors are described, broken down into the following sets: six involving the action; two involving the actor; nine involving the observer; four involving the relationship between actor and observer; and one involving the context. The second aim is to consider the implications of these findings for four prominent theoretical models of the MNS: the Direct Matching Model; the Predictive Coding Model; the Value-Driven Model; and the Associative Model. These assessments suggest that although each model is supported by a wide range of findings, each one is also challenged by other findings and relatively unaffected by still others. Hence, there is now a pressing need for a richer, more inclusive model that is better able to account for all of the modulatory factors that have been identified so far.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Kemmerer
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Lyles-Porter Hall, Purdue University, 715 Clinic Drive, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Abstract
Even for a stereotyped task, sensorimotor behavior is generally variable due to noise, redundancy, adaptability, learning or plasticity. The sources and significance of different kinds of behavioral variability have attracted considerable attention in recent years. However, the idea that part of this variability depends on unique individual strategies has been explored to a lesser extent. In particular, the notion of style recurs infrequently in the literature on sensorimotor behavior. In general use, style refers to a distinctive manner or custom of behaving oneself or of doing something, especially one that is typical of a person, group of people, place, context, or period. The application of the term to the domain of perceptual and motor phenomenology opens new perspectives on the nature of behavioral variability, perspectives that are complementary to those typically considered in the studies of sensorimotor variability. In particular, the concept of style may help toward the development of personalised physiology and medicine by providing markers of individual behaviour and response to different stimuli or treatments. Here, we cover some potential applications of the concept of perceptual-motor style to different areas of neuroscience, both in the healthy and the diseased. We prefer to be as general as possible in the types of applications we consider, even at the expense of running the risk of encompassing loosely related studies, given the relative novelty of the introduction of the term perceptual-motor style in neurosciences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pierre-Paul Vidal
- CNRS, SSA, ENS Paris Saclay, Université de Paris, Centre Borelli, 75005 Paris, France
- Institute of Information and Control, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Francesco Lacquaniti
- Department of Systems Medicine, Center of Space Biomedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, 00179 Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Finisguerra A, Ticini LF, Kirsch LP, Cross ES, Kotz SA, Urgesi C. Dissociating embodiment and emotional reactivity in motor responses to artworks. Cognition 2021; 212:104663. [PMID: 33761410 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2021.104663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Perceiving art is known to elicit motor cortex activation in an observer's brain. This motor activation has often been attributed to a covert approach response associated with the emotional valence of an art piece (emotional reaction hypothesis). However, recent accounts have proposed that aesthetic experiences could be grounded in the motor simulation of actions required to produce an art piece and of the sensorimotor states embedded in its subject (embodied aesthetic hypothesis). Here, we aimed to test these two hypotheses by assessing whether motor facilitation during artwork perception mirrors emotional or motor simulation processes. To this aim, we capitalized on single pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation revealing a two-stage motor coding of emotional body postures: an early, non-specific activation related to emotion processing and a later action-specific activation reflecting motor simulation. We asked art-naïve individuals to rate how much they liked a series of pointillist and brushstroke canvases; photographs of artistic gardens served as control natural stimuli. After an early (150 ms) or a later (300 ms) post-stimulus delay, motor evoked potentials were recorded from wrist-extensor and finger muscles that were more involved in brushstroke- and pointillist-like painting, respectively. Results showed that observing the two canvas styles did not elicit differential motor activation in the early time window for either muscle, not supporting the emotional reaction hypothesis. However, in support of the embodied aesthetic hypothesis, we found in the later time window greater motor activation responses to brushstroke than pointillist canvases for the wrist-extensor, but not for the finger muscle. Furthermore, this muscle-selective facilitation was associated with lower liking ratings of brushstroke canvases and with greater empathy dispositions. These findings support the claim that simulation of the painter's movements is crucial for aesthetic experience, by documenting a link between motor simulation, dispositional empathy, and subjective appreciation in artwork perception.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Luca F Ticini
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Manchester, M13 9PL Manchester, UK
| | - Louise P Kirsch
- Institute for Intelligent Systems and Robotics (ISIR), Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Emily S Cross
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, G12 8QB Glasgow, UK & Department of Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Sydney, Australia
| | - Sonja A Kotz
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6200 MD Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Cosimo Urgesi
- Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, 33037 Pasian di Prato, Italy; Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|