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Ciaramidaro A, Toppi J, Vogel P, Freitag CM, Siniatchkin M, Astolfi L. Synergy of the mirror neuron system and the mentalizing system in a single brain and between brains during joint actions. Neuroimage 2024; 299:120783. [PMID: 39187218 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120783] [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: 07/17/2024] [Revised: 08/04/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Cooperative action involves the simulation of actions and their co-representation by two or more people. This requires the involvement of two complex brain systems: the mirror neuron system (MNS) and the mentalizing system (MENT), both of critical importance for successful social interaction. However, their internal organization and the potential synergy of both systems during joint actions (JA) are yet to be determined. The aim of this study was to examine the role and interaction of these two fundamental systems-MENT and MNS-during continuous interaction. To this hand, we conducted a multiple-brain connectivity analysis in the source domain during a motor cooperation task using high-density EEG dual-recordings providing relevant insights into the roles of MNS and MENT at the intra- and interbrain levels. In particular, the intra-brain analysis demonstrated the essential function of both systems during JA, as well as the crucial role played by single brain regions of both neural mechanisms during cooperative activities. Specifically, our intra-brain analysis revealed that both neural mechanisms are essential during Joint Action (JA), showing a solid connection between MNS and MENT and a central role of the single brain regions of both mechanisms during cooperative actions. Additionally, our inter-brain study revealed increased inter-subject connections involving the motor system, MENT and MNS. Thus, our findings show a mutual influence between two interacting agents, based on synchronization of MNS and MENT systems. Our results actually encourage more research into the still-largely unknown realm of inter-brain dynamics and contribute to expand the body of knowledge in social neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Ciaramidaro
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Viale Allegri 9, 42121 Reggio Emilia, Italy; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe-University, Deutschordenstraße 50, 60528 Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
| | - Jlenia Toppi
- Department of Computer, Control, and Management Engineering, Univ. of Rome "Sapienza", Via Ariosto 25, 00185 Rome, Italy; Neuroelectrical Imaging and Brain Computer Interface Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Via Ardeatina 306/354, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Pascal Vogel
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe-University, Deutschordenstraße 50, 60528 Frankfurt/Main, Germany; Institute of Neurophysiology, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University, Heinrich-Hoffmann-Str. 7, 60528 Frankfurt/M, Germany
| | - Christine M Freitag
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe-University, Deutschordenstraße 50, 60528 Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Michael Siniatchkin
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe-University, Deutschordenstraße 50, 60528 Frankfurt/Main, Germany; Clinic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Aachen, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Laura Astolfi
- Department of Computer, Control, and Management Engineering, Univ. of Rome "Sapienza", Via Ariosto 25, 00185 Rome, Italy; Neuroelectrical Imaging and Brain Computer Interface Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Via Ardeatina 306/354, 00179 Rome, Italy
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2
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Zhang P, Feng S, Zhang Q, Chen Y, Liu Y, Liu T, Bai X, Yin J. Online chasing action recruits both mirror neuron and mentalizing systems: A pilot fNIRS study. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2024; 248:104363. [PMID: 38905953 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104363] [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: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Engaging in chasing, where an actor actively pursues a target, is considered a crucial activity for the development of social skills. Previous studies have focused predominantly on understanding the neural correlates of chasing from an observer's perspective, but the neural mechanisms underlying the real-time implementation of chasing action remain poorly understood. To gain deeper insights into this phenomenon, the current study employed functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) techniques and a novel interactive game. In this interactive game, participants (N = 29) were tasked to engage in chasing behavior by controlling an on-screen character using a gamepad, with the goal of catching a virtual partner. To specifically examine the brain activations associated with the interactive nature of chasing, we included two additional interactive actions: following action of following the path of a virtual partner and free action of moving without a specific pursuit goal. The results revealed that chasing and following actions elicited activation in a broad and overlapping network of brain regions, including the temporoparietal junction (TPJ), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), premotor cortex (PMC), primary somatosensory cortex (SI), and primary motor cortex (M1). Crucially, these regions were found to be modulated by the type of interaction, with greater activation and functional connectivity during the chasing interaction than during the following and free interactions. These findings suggested that both the MNS, encompassing regions such as the PMC, M1 and SI, and the mentalizing system (MS), involving the TPJ and mPFC, contribute to the execution of online chasing actions. Thus, the present study represents an initial step toward future investigations into the roles of MNS and MS in real-time chasing interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Zhang
- Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
| | - Shuyuan Feng
- Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
| | - Qihan Zhang
- Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yixin Chen
- Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yu Liu
- Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
| | - Tao Liu
- School of Management, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuejun Bai
- Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China.
| | - Jun Yin
- Department of Psychology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China.
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3
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Liu Y, Zhang Y, Zhong Y, Liu J, Zhang C, Meng Y, Pang N, Cheng X, Wang H. Favoritism or bias? Cooperation and competition under different intergroup relationships: evidence from EEG hyperscanning. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae131. [PMID: 38566514 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae131] [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: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Cooperation and competition are the most common forms of social interaction in various social relationships. Intergroup relationships have been posited to influence individuals' interpersonal interactions significantly. Using electroencephalography hyperscanning, this study aimed to establish whether intergroup relationships influence interpersonal cooperation and competition and the underlying neural mechanisms. According to the results, the in-group Coop-index is better than the out-group, whereas the out-group Comp-index is stronger than the in-group. The in-group functional connectivity between the frontal-central region and the right temporoparietal junction in the β band was stronger in competition than cooperation. The out-group functional connectivity between the frontal-central region and the left temporoparietal junction in the α band was stronger in cooperation than competition. In both cooperation and competition, the in-group exhibited higher interbrain synchronization between the prefrontal cortex and parietal region in the θ band, as well as between the frontal-central region and frontal-central region in the α band, compared to the out-group. The intrabrain phase-locking value in both the α and β bands can effectively predict performance in competition tasks. Interbrain phase-locking value in both the α and θ bands can be effectively predicted in a performance cooperation task. This study offers neuroscientific evidence for in-group favoritism and out-group bias at an interpersonal level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingjie Liu
- School of Psychology and Mental Health, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai avenue, Caofeidian district, Tangshan, Hebei province 063210, China
- School of Public Health, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai avenue, Caofeidian district, Tangshan, Hebei province 063210, China
| | - Ye Zhang
- School of Psychology and Mental Health, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai avenue, Caofeidian district, Tangshan, Hebei province 063210, China
| | - Yifei Zhong
- School of Psychology and Mental Health, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai avenue, Caofeidian district, Tangshan, Hebei province 063210, China
| | - Jingyue Liu
- School of Psychology and Mental Health, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai avenue, Caofeidian district, Tangshan, Hebei province 063210, China
| | - Chenyu Zhang
- School of Psychology and Mental Health, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai avenue, Caofeidian district, Tangshan, Hebei province 063210, China
| | - Yujia Meng
- School of Psychology and Mental Health, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai avenue, Caofeidian district, Tangshan, Hebei province 063210, China
| | - Nan Pang
- School of Psychology and Mental Health, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai avenue, Caofeidian district, Tangshan, Hebei province 063210, China
| | - Xuemei Cheng
- Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Beijing Polytechnic, 100081
| | - He Wang
- School of Psychology and Mental Health, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai avenue, Caofeidian district, Tangshan, Hebei province 063210, China
- School of Public Health, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai avenue, Caofeidian district, Tangshan, Hebei province 063210, China
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4
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Moreau Q, Parrotta E, Pesci UG, Era V, Candidi M. Early categorization of social affordances during the visual encoding of bodily stimuli. Neuroimage 2023; 274:120151. [PMID: 37191657 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120151] [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: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Interpersonal interactions rely on various communication channels, both verbal and non-verbal, through which information regarding one's intentions and emotions are perceived. Here, we investigated the neural correlates underlying the visual processing of hand postures conveying social affordances (i.e., hand-shaking), compared to control stimuli such as hands performing non-social actions (i.e., grasping) or showing no movement at all. Combining univariate and multivariate analysis on electroencephalography (EEG) data, our results indicate that occipito-temporal electrodes show early differential processing of stimuli conveying social information compared to non-social ones. First, the amplitude of the Early Posterior Negativity (EPN, an Event-Related Potential related to the perception of body parts) is modulated differently during the perception of social and non-social content carried by hands. Moreover, our multivariate classification analysis (MultiVariate Pattern Analysis - MVPA) expanded the univariate results by revealing early (<200 ms) categorization of social affordances over occipito-parietal sites. In conclusion, we provide new evidence suggesting that the encoding of socially relevant hand gestures is categorized in the early stages of visual processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Q Moreau
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.
| | - E Parrotta
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - U G Pesci
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - V Era
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - M Candidi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.
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5
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Zhang D, Zhang S, Lei Z, Li Y, Li X, Gu R. Why people engage in corrupt collaboration: an observation at the multi-brain level. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:8465-8476. [PMID: 37083271 PMCID: PMC10786094 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad132] [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: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies suggest that corrupt collaboration (i.e. acquiring private benefits with joint immoral acts) represents a dilemma between the honesty and reciprocity norms. In this study, we asked pairs of participants (labeled as A and B) to individually toss a coin and report their outcomes; their collective benefit could be maximized by dishonestly reporting (a corrupt behavior). As expected, the likelihood of corrupt behavior was high; this probability was negatively correlated with player A's moral judgment ability but positively correlated with player B's empathic concern (EC). Functional near-infrared spectroscopy data revealed that the brain-to-brain synchronization in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was associated with fewer corrupt behaviors, and that it mediated the relationship between player A's moral judgment ability and corrupt collaboration. Meanwhile, the right temporal-parietal junction synchronization was associated with more corrupt behaviors, and that it mediated the relationship between player B's EC and corrupt collaboration. The roles of these 2 regions are interpreted according to the influence of the honesty and reciprocity norms on corrupt collaboration. In our opinion, these findings provide insight into the underlying mechanisms and modulating factors of corrupt collaboration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Zhang
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610066, China
- China Center for Behavioral Economics and Finance & School of Economics, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Shen Zhang
- School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Zhen Lei
- China Center for Behavioral Economics and Finance & School of Economics, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Yiwei Li
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610066, China
| | - Xianchun Li
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Ruolei Gu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Beijing 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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6
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Zhang Q, Liu Z, Qian H, Hu Y, Gao X. Interpersonal Competition in Elderly Couples: A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13040600. [PMID: 37190565 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13040600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Elderly people tend not to compete with others, and if they do, the mechanism behind the competition is not clear. In this study, groups of elderly couples and matched cross-sex controls were recruited to perform a competitive button-pressing task, while their brain signals were simultaneously collected using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning. Several fundamental observations were made. First, controls showed attenuated interpersonal competition across task processes, but couples held the competition with each other. Second, couples demonstrated increased inter-brain synchronization (IBS) between the middle temporal cortex and the temporoparietal junction across task processes. Third, Granger causality analysis in couples revealed significant differences between the directions (i.e., from men to women, and from women to men) in the first half of the competitive task, whereas there was no significant difference in the second half. Finally, the groups of couples and controls could be successfully discriminated against based on IBS by using a machine-learning approach. In sum, these findings indicate that elderly couples can maintain interpersonal competition, and such maintenance might be associated with changes in the IBS of the mentalizing system. It suggests the possible positive impact of long-term spouse relationships on interpersonal interactions, both behaviorally and neurally, in terms of competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Education College, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China
| | - Zhennan Liu
- Department of Psychology, Education College, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China
| | - Haoyue Qian
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
- Shanghai Institute of Early Childhood Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China
| | - Yinying Hu
- Department of Psychology, Education College, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China
| | - Xiangping Gao
- Department of Psychology, Education College, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China
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7
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Era V, Candidi M, Pezzetta R, Pulcini C, D'Antonio S, Zabberoni S, Peppe A, Costa A, Taglieri S, Carlesimo GA, Aglioti SM. The dopaminergic system supports flexible and rewarding dyadic motor interactive behaviour in Parkinson's Disease. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2023; 18:6604233. [PMID: 35674339 PMCID: PMC9949502 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsac040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies indicate that the dopaminergic system (DAS) supports individual flexible behaviour. While flexibility is quintessential to effective dyadic motor interactions, whether DAS mediates adaptations of one's own motor behaviour to that of a partner is not known. Here, we asked patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD) to synchronize their grasping movements with those of a virtual partner in conditions that did (Interactive) or did not (Cued) require to predict and adapt to its actions. PD performed the task during daily antiparkinsonian treatment ('On' condition) or after drug-withdrawal ('Off' condition). A group of healthy individuals also served as control group. In the Interactive condition, PDs performed better and found the interaction more enjoyable when in 'On' than in 'Off' condition. Crucially, PD performance in the 'On' condition did not differ from that of healthy controls. This pattern of results hints at the key role of the DAS in supporting the flexible adaptation of one's own actions to the partner's during motor interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Era
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, 00185, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, 00179, Italy
| | - Matteo Candidi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, 00185, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, 00179, Italy
| | | | - Claudia Pulcini
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, 00185, Italy
| | - Sara D'Antonio
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, 00185, Italy
| | | | | | - Alberto Costa
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, 00179, Italy.,Niccolò Cusano University, Rome, 00166, Italy
| | - Sara Taglieri
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, 00179, Italy.,Niccolò Cusano University, Rome, 00166, Italy
| | | | - Salvatore Maria Aglioti
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, 00179, Italy.,Center for Life Nano- and Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, and Sapienza University Rome, Rome, 00161, Italy
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8
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Moreau Q, Tieri G, Era V, Aglioti SM, Candidi M. The performance monitoring system is attuned to others' actions during dyadic motor interactions. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:222-234. [PMID: 35203090 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Interpersonal motor interactions require the simultaneous monitoring of one's own and one's partner's actions. To characterize how the action monitoring system tracks self and other behavior during synchronous interactions, we combined electroencephalography recordings and immersive virtual reality in two tasks where participants were asked to synchronize their actions with those of a virtual partner (VP). The two tasks differed in the features to be monitored: the Goal task required participants to predict and monitor the VP's reaching goal; the Spatial task required participants to predict and monitor the VP's reaching trajectory. In both tasks, the VP performed unexpected movement changes to which the participant needed to adapt. By extracting the neural activity locked to the detection of unexpected changes in the VP's action (other-monitoring) or to the participants' action-replanning (self-monitoring), we show that the monitoring system is more attuned to others' than to one's own actions. Additionally, distinctive neural responses to VP's unexpected goals and trajectory corrections were found: goal changes were reflected both in early fronto-central and later posterior neural responses while trajectory deviations were reflected only in later posterior responses. Altogether, our results indicate that the monitoring system adopts an inherent social mode to handle interpersonal motor interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Moreau
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, 00185, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179, Rome, Italy
| | - Gaetano Tieri
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179, Rome, Italy.,Virtual Reality Lab, Unitelma Sapienza University, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Vanessa Era
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, 00185, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179, Rome, Italy
| | - Salvatore Maria Aglioti
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179, Rome, Italy.,Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia and Sapienza University, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Candidi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, 00185, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179, Rome, Italy
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Social, affective, and non-motoric bodily cues to the Sense of Agency: A systematic review of the experience of control. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 142:104900. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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10
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Fini C, Era V, Da Rold F, Candidi M, Borghi AM. Abstract concepts in interaction: the need of others when guessing abstract concepts smooths dyadic motor interactions. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:201205. [PMID: 34350007 PMCID: PMC8316795 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.201205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
concepts (ACs, e.g. 'justice') are more complex compared with concrete concepts (CCs) (e.g. 'table'). Indeed, they do not possess a single object as a referent, they assemble quite heterogeneous members and they are more detached from exteroceptive and more grounded in interoceptive experience. Recent views have hypothesized that interpersonal communication is particularly crucial to acquire and use ACs. The current study investigates the reliance of ACs/CCs representation on interpersonal behaviour. We asked participants to perform a motor interaction task with two avatars who embodied two real confederates. Before and after the motor interaction task, the two confederates provided participants with hints in a concept guessing task associated with visual stimuli: one helped in guessing ACs and the other, CCs. A control study we performed both with the materials employed in the main experiment and with other materials, confirmed that associating verbal concepts with visual images was more difficult with ACs than with CCs. Consistently, the results of the main experiment showed that participants asked for more hints with ACs than CCs and were more synchronous when interacting with the avatar corresponding to the AC's confederate. The results highlight an important role of sociality in grounding ACs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Fini
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, ‘Sapienza’ University of Rome, Italy
| | - Vanessa Era
- SCNLab Department of Psychology, ‘Sapienza’ University of Rome, Italy
- IRCCS, Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Federico Da Rold
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council (CNR), Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Candidi
- SCNLab Department of Psychology, ‘Sapienza’ University of Rome, Italy
- IRCCS, Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna M. Borghi
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, ‘Sapienza’ University of Rome, Italy
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council (CNR), Rome, Italy
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11
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Harvey DY, DeLoretta L, Shah-Basak PP, Wurzman R, Sacchetti D, Ahmed A, Thiam A, Lohoff FW, Faseyitan O, Hamilton RH. Variability in cTBS Aftereffects Attributed to the Interaction of Stimulus Intensity With BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:585533. [PMID: 34220466 PMCID: PMC8249815 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.585533] [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: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate whether a common polymorphism (Val66Met) in the gene for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-a gene thought to influence plasticity-contributes to inter-individual variability in responses to continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS), and explore whether variability in stimulation-induced plasticity among Val66Met carriers relates to differences in stimulation intensity (SI) used to probe plasticity. Methods: Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were collected from 33 healthy individuals (11 Val66Met) prior to cTBS (baseline) and in 10 min intervals immediately following cTBS for a total of 30 min post-cTBS (0 min post-cTBS, 10 min post-cTBS, 20 min post cTBS, and 30 min post-cTBS) of the left primary motor cortex. Analyses assessed changes in cortical excitability as a function of BDNF (Val66Val vs. Val66Met) and SI. Results: For both BDNF groups, MEP-suppression from baseline to post-cTBS time points decreased as a function of increasing SI. However, the effect of SI on MEPs was more pronounced for Val66Met vs. Val66Val carriers, whereby individuals probed with higher vs. lower SIs resulted in paradoxical cTBS aftereffects (MEP-facilitation), which persisted at least 30 min post-cTBS administration. Conclusions: cTBS aftereffects among BDNF Met allele carriers are more variable depending on the SI used to probe cortical excitability when compared to homozygous Val allele carriers, which could, to some extent, account for the inconsistency of previously reported cTBS effects. Significance: These data provide insight into the sources of cTBS response variability, which can inform how best to stratify and optimize its use in investigational and clinical contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Y. Harvey
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Research Department, Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Laura DeLoretta
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | | | - Rachel Wurzman
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Daniela Sacchetti
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Ahmed Ahmed
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Abdou Thiam
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Falk W. Lohoff
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Olufunsho Faseyitan
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Roy H. Hamilton
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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12
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Gong Y, Wang Y, Chen Q, Zhao J, Zhao N, Zou M, Cao A, Wang Y. The influence of cooperative action intention on object affordance: evidence from the perspective-taking ability of individuals. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2021; 86:757-768. [PMID: 34009467 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-021-01523-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In complex interactive scenarios, action understanding lies at the heart of social interactions. Nevertheless, the ability to understand action intention may differ among people. The current study distinguished two groups of participants with different social intention-understanding abilities (high and low) based on a perspective-taking task to investigate the influence of social intention on object affordance under conditions of individual and cooperative action intention. In the affordance perception experiment, participants were shown a video with the presenter reaching to grasp an object in different grips and asked to classify objects into kitchen or non-kitchen items by pressing the left- or right-hand button under the two intention conditions. The results showed that the object affordance effects were modulated by the participants' understanding of social intention in the interactive scenarios. Specifically, the object affordance effects were observed only in the high perspective-taking ability group under the condition of cooperative action intention. However, under the condition of individual action intention, object affordance effects were shown in both the high and low perspective-taking ability groups, and the difference between the two groups was not significant. This study suggests that processing of object affordance depends greatly on the contextual correspondence of perception and action and that the understanding of cooperative action intention can affect the activation of object affordance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanyan Gong
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, Shaanxi, China.,Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Behavior and Cognitive Neuroscience, Xi'an, 710062, China.,School of Pre-School Normal, Shaanxi Radio and TV University, Xi'an, 710068, China
| | - Yongchun Wang
- School of Humanities, Xidian University, Xi'an, 710126, Shaanxi, China.,Shaanxi Development Strategy Research Center of Smart Society, Xi'an, 710126, China
| | - Qiang Chen
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, Shaanxi, China.,Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Behavior and Cognitive Neuroscience, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - Jingjing Zhao
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, Shaanxi, China.,Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Behavior and Cognitive Neuroscience, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - Nan Zhao
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, Shaanxi, China.,Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Behavior and Cognitive Neuroscience, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - Meng Zou
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, Shaanxi, China.,Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Behavior and Cognitive Neuroscience, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - An Cao
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, Shaanxi, China.,Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Behavior and Cognitive Neuroscience, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - Yonghui Wang
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, Shaanxi, China. .,Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Behavior and Cognitive Neuroscience, Xi'an, 710062, China.
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13
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Boukarras S, Era V, Aglioti SM, Candidi M. Competence-based social status and implicit preference modulate the ability to coordinate during a joint grasping task. Sci Rep 2021; 11:5321. [PMID: 33674640 PMCID: PMC7935999 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84280-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies indicate that social status influences people's social perceptions. Less information is available about whether induced social status influences dyadic coordination during motor interactions. To explore this issue, we designed a study in which two confederates obtained high or low competence-based status by playing a game together with the participant, while the participant always occupied the middle position of the hierarchy. Following this status-inducing phase, participants were engaged in a joint grasping task with the high- and low-status confederates in different sessions while behavioural (i.e., interpersonal asynchrony and movement start time) indexes were measured. Participants' performance in the task (i.e., level of interpersonal asynchrony) when interacting with the low-status partner was modulated by their preference for him. The lower participants' preference for a low- relative to a high-status confederate, the worse participants' performance when interacting with the low-status confederate. Our results show that participants' performance during motor interactions changes according to the social status of the interaction partner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Boukarras
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
- Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.
| | - Vanessa Era
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Salvatore Maria Aglioti
- Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Sapienza University of Rome and CNLS@Sapienza Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Candidi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
- Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.
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14
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Fanghella M, Era V, Candidi M. Interpersonal Motor Interactions Shape Multisensory Representations of the Peripersonal Space. Brain Sci 2021; 11:255. [PMID: 33669561 PMCID: PMC7922994 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11020255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
This perspective review focuses on the proposal that predictive multisensory integration occurring in one's peripersonal space (PPS) supports individuals' ability to efficiently interact with others, and that integrating sensorimotor signals from the interacting partners leads to the emergence of a shared representation of the PPS. To support this proposal, we first introduce the features of body and PPS representations that are relevant for interpersonal motor interactions. Then, we highlight the role of action planning and execution on the dynamic expansion of the PPS. We continue by presenting evidence of PPS modulations after tool use and review studies suggesting that PPS expansions may be accounted for by Bayesian sensory filtering through predictive coding. In the central section, we describe how this conceptual framework can be used to explain the mechanisms through which the PPS may be modulated by the actions of our interaction partner, in order to facilitate interpersonal coordination. Last, we discuss how this proposal may support recent evidence concerning PPS rigidity in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and its possible relationship with ASD individuals' difficulties during interpersonal coordination. Future studies will need to clarify the mechanisms and neural underpinning of these dynamic, interpersonal modulations of the PPS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Fanghella
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.F.); (V.E.)
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychology, University of London, London EC1V 0HB, UK
| | - Vanessa Era
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.F.); (V.E.)
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Candidi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.F.); (V.E.)
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy
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15
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Sacheli LM, Musco MA, Zazzera E, Paulesu E. Mechanisms for mutual support in motor interactions. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3060. [PMID: 33542259 PMCID: PMC7862452 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82138-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
What is the key to successful interaction? Is it sufficient to represent a common goal, or does the way our partner achieves that goal count as well? How do we react when our partner misbehaves? We used a turn-taking music-like task requiring participants to play sequences of notes together with a partner, and we investigated how people adapt to a partner's error that violates their expectations. Errors consisted of either playing a wrong note of a sequence that the agents were playing together (thus preventing the achievement of the joint goal) or playing the expected note with an unexpected action. In both cases, we found post-error slowing and inaccuracy suggesting the participants' implicit tendency to correct the partner's error and produce the action that the partner should have done. We argue that these "joint" monitoring processes depend on the motor predictions made within a (dyadic) motor plan and may represent a basic mechanism for mutual support in motor interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Maria Sacheli
- Department of Psychology and Milan Center for Neuroscience (NeuroMi), University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza dell'Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126, Milano, Italy.
- IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy.
| | - Margherita Adelaide Musco
- Department of Psychology and Milan Center for Neuroscience (NeuroMi), University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza dell'Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126, Milano, Italy
| | - Elisa Zazzera
- Department of Psychology and Milan Center for Neuroscience (NeuroMi), University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza dell'Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126, Milano, Italy
| | - Eraldo Paulesu
- Department of Psychology and Milan Center for Neuroscience (NeuroMi), University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza dell'Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126, Milano, Italy
- IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy
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16
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Era V, Carnevali L, Thayer JF, Candidi M, Ottaviani C. Dissociating cognitive, behavioral and physiological stress-related responses through dorsolateral prefrontal cortex inhibition. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 124:105070. [PMID: 33310375 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.105070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) has been implicated in the regulation of stress-related cognitive processes and physiological responses and is the principal target of noninvasive brain stimulation techniques applied to psychiatric conditions. However, existing studies are mostly correlational and causal evidence on the role of this region in mediating specific psychophysiological mechanisms underpinning stress-related responses are needed to make the application of such techniques more efficient. To fill this gap, this study used inhibitory continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) in healthy individuals to examine the extent to which activity of the left dlPFC is associated with cognitive (subjective focus on a tracking task), behavioral (reaction times and variability), and physiological responses (heart rate and its variability and cortisol level) following induction of perseverative cognition. Compared to sham and left ventral PreMotor area stimulation (as active control area), inhibition of left dlPFC determined sustained autonomic and neuroendocrine activation and increased the subjective perception of being task-focused, while not changing the behavioral and self-reported stress-related responses. Adopting a causative approach, we describe a role of left dlPFC in inhibitory control of the physiological stress-response associated to perseverative thinking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Era
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Carnevali
- Stress Physiology Lab, Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Italy
| | - Julian F Thayer
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Matteo Candidi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Ottaviani
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.
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17
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Pezzetta R, Wokke ME, Aglioti SM, Ridderinkhof KR. Doing it Wrong: A Systematic Review on Electrocortical and Behavioral Correlates of Error Monitoring in Patients with Neurological Disorders. Neuroscience 2021; 486:103-125. [PMID: 33516775 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.01.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Detecting errors in one's own and other's actions is a crucial ability for learning and adapting behavior to everchanging, highly volatile environments. Studies in healthy people demonstrate that monitoring errors in one's own and others' actions are underpinned by specific neural systems that are dysfunctional in a variety of neurological disorders. In this review, we first briefly discuss the main findings concerning error detection and error awareness in healthy subjects, the current theoretical models, and the tasks usually applied to investigate these processes. Then, we report a systematic search for evidence of dysfunctional error monitoring among neurological populations (basal ganglia, neurodegenerative, white-matter diseases and acquired brain injury). In particular, we examine electrophysiological and behavioral evidence for specific alterations of error processing in neurological disorders. Error-related negativity (ERN) amplitude were reduced in most (although not all) neurological patient groups, whereas Positivity Error (Pe) amplitude appeared not to be affected in most patient groups. Also theta activity was reduced in some neurological groups, but consistent evidence on the oscillatory activity has not been provided thus far. Behaviorally, we did not observe relevant patterns of pronounced dysfunctional (post-) error processing. Finally, we discuss limitations of the existing literature, conclusive points, open questions and new possible methodological approaches for clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Pezzetta
- IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, Venice, Italy.
| | - M E Wokke
- Programs in Psychology and Biology, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychology, The University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - S M Aglioti
- Sapienza University of Rome and CNLS@Sapienza at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Regina Elena 295, 00161 Rome, Italy; Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - K R Ridderinkhof
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 129B, 1018, WS, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Brain & Cognition (ABC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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18
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Dumas G, Moreau Q, Tognoli E, Kelso JAS. The Human Dynamic Clamp Reveals the Fronto-Parietal Network Linking Real-Time Social Coordination and Cognition. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:3271-3285. [PMID: 31867672 PMCID: PMC7197204 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 11/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
How does the brain allow us to interact with others? Social neuroscience has already provided some answers to these questions but has tended to treat high-level, cognitive interpretations of social behavior separately from the sensorimotor mechanisms upon which they rely. The goal here is to identify the underlying neural processes and mechanisms linking sensorimotor coordination and intention attribution. We combine the human dynamic clamp, a novel paradigm for studyingrealistic social behavior, with high-resolution electroencephalography. The collection of humanness and intention attribution reports, kinematics, and neural data affords an opportunity to relate brain activity to the ongoing social behavior. Behavioral results demonstrate that sensorimotor coordination influences the judgments of cooperativeness and humanness. Analysis of brain dynamics reveals two distinct networks related to the integration of visuo-motor information from self and other which overlap over the right parietal region. Furthermore, judgment of humanness and cooperation of others modulate the functional connectivity between this right parietal hub and the prefrontal cortex. These results reveal how distributed neural dynamics integrates information from "low-level" sensorimotor mechanisms and "high-level" social cognition to support the realistic social behaviors that play out in real time during interactive scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Dumas
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Institut Pasteur, UMR3571 CNRS, Université de Paris, 75015 Paris, France
- Human Brain and Behavior Laboratory, Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, FL, USA
| | - Q Moreau
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00100 Rome, Italy
| | - E Tognoli
- Human Brain and Behavior Laboratory, Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, FL, USA
| | - J A S Kelso
- Human Brain and Behavior Laboratory, Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, FL, USA
- Intelligent Systems Research Centre, Ulster University, Derry, BT48 7JL, UK
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19
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Moreau Q, Parrotta E, Era V, Martelli ML, Candidi M. Role of the occipito-temporal theta rhythm in hand visual identification. J Neurophysiol 2020; 123:167-177. [DOI: 10.1152/jn.00267.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging and EEG studies have shown that passive observation of the full body and of specific body parts is associated with 1) activity of an occipito-temporal region named the extrastriate body area (EBA), 2) amplitude modulations of a specific posterior event-related potential (ERP) component (N1/N190), and 3) a theta-band (4–7 Hz) synchronization recorded from occipito-temporal electrodes compatible with the location of EBA. To characterize the functional role of the occipito-temporal theta-band increase during the processing of body-part stimuli, we recorded EEG from healthy participants while they were engaged in an identification task (match-to-sample) of images of hands and nonbody control images (leaves). In addition to confirming that occipito-temporal electrodes show a larger N1 for hand images compared with control stimuli, cluster-based analysis revealed an occipito-temporal cluster showing an increased theta power when hands are presented (compared with leaves) and show that this theta increase is higher for identified hands compared with nonidentified ones while not being significantly different between not identified nonhand stimuli. Finally, single trial multivariate pattern analysis revealed that time-frequency modulation in the theta band is a better marker for classifying the identification of hand images than the ERP modulation. The present results support the notion that theta activity over the occipito-temporal cortex is an informative marker of hand visual processing and may reflect the activity of a network coding for stimulus identity. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Hands provide crucial information regarding the identity of others, which is a key information for social processes. We recorded EEG activity of healthy participants during the visual identification of hand images. The combination of univariate and multivariate pattern analysis in time- and time-frequency domain highlights the functional role of theta (4–7 Hz) activity over visual areas during hand identification and emphasizes the robustness of this neuromarker in occipito-temporal visual processing dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Moreau
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome
| | - Eleonora Parrotta
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome
| | - Vanessa Era
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome
| | - Maria Luisa Martelli
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome
| | - Matteo Candidi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome
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