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Bekkali S, Youssef GJ, Donaldson PH, Hyde C, Do M, He JL, Barhoun P, Enticott PG. Is there a relationship between EEG and sTMS neurophysiological markers of the putative human mirror neuron system? J Neurosci Res 2021; 99:3238-3249. [PMID: 34747052 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The mirror neuron system (MNS) has been theorized to play a neurobiological role in a number of social cognitive abilities and is commonly indexed putatively in humans via interpersonal motor resonance (IMR) and mu suppression. Although both indices are thought to measure similar neuronal populations (i.e., "mirror neurons"), it has been suggested that these methods are unrelated, and therefore, incompatible. However, prior studies reporting no relationships were typically conducted in small and underpowered samples. Thus, we aimed to investigate this potential association in a large sample of neurotypical adults (N = 116; 72 females). Participants underwent transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), electromyography (EMG), and electroencephalography (EEG) during the observation of videos of actors performing grasping actions in order to index IMR and mu suppression (in beta, lower alpha, and upper alpha bandwidths). A series of linear regressions revealed no associations between IMR and each of the mu suppression bandwidths. Supplementary Bayesian analyses provided further evidence in favor of the null (B01 = 8.85-8.93), providing further support for no association between the two indices of MNS activity. Our findings suggest that these two measures may indeed be unrelated indices that perhaps assess different neurophysiological aspects of the MNS. These results have important implications for future studies examining the MNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soukayna Bekkali
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit (CNU), School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia
| | - George J Youssef
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit (CNU), School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia.,Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Peter H Donaldson
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit (CNU), School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia
| | - Christian Hyde
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit (CNU), School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia
| | - Michael Do
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit (CNU), School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia
| | - Jason L He
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Pamela Barhoun
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit (CNU), School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia
| | - Peter G Enticott
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit (CNU), School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia
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