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Guidali G, Picardi M, Franca M, Caronni A, Bolognini N. The social relevance and the temporal constraints of motor resonance in humans. Sci Rep 2023; 13:15933. [PMID: 37741884 PMCID: PMC10517949 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43227-2] [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: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023] Open
Abstract
In humans, motor resonance effects can be tracked by measuring the enhancement of corticospinal excitability by action observation. Uncovering factors driving motor resonance is crucial for optimizing action observation paradigms in experimental and clinical settings. In the present study, we deepen motor resonance properties for grasping movements. Thirty-five healthy subjects underwent an action observation task presenting right-hand grasping movements differing from their action goal. Single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation was applied over the left primary motor cortex at 100, 200, or 300 ms from the onset of the visual stimulus depicting the action. Motor-evoked potentials were recorded from four muscles of the right hand and forearm. Results show a muscle-specific motor resonance effect at 200 ms after movement but selectively for observing a socially relevant grasp towards another human being. This effect correlates with observers' emotional empathy scores, and it was followed by inhibition of motor resonance at 300 ms post-stimulus onset. No motor resonance facilitation emerged while observing intransitive hand movement or object grasping. This evidence highlights the social side of motor resonance and its dependency on temporal factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Guidali
- Department of Psychology & NeuroMI-Milan Centre for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza dell'Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126, Milan, Italy.
| | - Michela Picardi
- Ph.D. Program in Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
- Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, Casa di cura Igea, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Franca
- Department of Psychology & NeuroMI-Milan Centre for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza dell'Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126, Milan, Italy
- Ph.D. Program in Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Antonio Caronni
- Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Ospedale San Luca, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Nadia Bolognini
- Department of Psychology & NeuroMI-Milan Centre for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza dell'Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126, Milan, Italy.
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy.
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2
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Kislinger L. Photographs of Actions: What Makes Them Special Cues to Social Perception. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11111382. [PMID: 34827381 PMCID: PMC8615998 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11111382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
I have reviewed studies on neural responses to pictured actions in the action observation network (AON) and the cognitive functions of these responses. Based on this review, I have analyzed the specific representational characteristics of action photographs. There has been consensus that AON responses provide viewers with knowledge of observed or pictured actions, but there has been controversy about the properties of this knowledge. Is this knowledge causally provided by AON activities or is it dependent on conceptual processing? What elements of actions does it refer to, and how generalized or specific is it? The answers to these questions have come from studies that used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to stimulate motor or somatosensory cortices. In conjunction with electromyography (EMG), TMS allows researchers to examine changes of the excitability in the corticospinal tract and muscles of people viewing pictured actions. The timing of these changes and muscle specificity enable inferences to be drawn about the cognitive products of processing pictured actions in the AON. Based on a review of studies using TMS and other neuroscience methods, I have proposed a novel hypothetical account that describes the characteristics of action photographs that make them effective cues to social perception. This account includes predictions that can be tested experimentally.
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3
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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.
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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.
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4
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Ito T, Kamiue M, Kihara T, Ishimaru Y, Kimura D, Tsubahara A. Visual Attention and Motion Visibility Modulate Motor Resonance during Observation of Human Walking in Different Manners. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11060679. [PMID: 34067268 PMCID: PMC8224780 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11060679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Revised: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
To advance our knowledge on the motor system during cyclic gait observation, we aimed to explore the effects of gaze fixation on corticospinal excitability evaluated by single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Fourteen healthy adult volunteers watched a video of a demonstrator walking on a treadmill under three different conditions: (1) observing the right lower limb, (2) observing the right ankle joint, and (3) observing the right lower limb on a video focused on the area below the knee. In each condition, motor-evoked potentials elicited by TMS in the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle were measured synchronously with the demonstrator’s initial contact and toe-off points. Directing visual attention to the ankle joint and focusing on its movements caused corticospinal facilitation in the TA muscle compared with watching the video without any visual fixation. In addition, phase-dependent differences in corticospinal excitability between the initial contact and toe-off points were only detected when the visibility range was restricted to below the knee. Our findings indicated that motor resonance during cyclic gait observation is modulated by visual attention and motion visibility in different activation manners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomotaka Ito
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Kawasaki University of Medical Welfare, Kurashiki-City, Okayama 701-0193, Japan
| | - Masanori Kamiue
- Doctoral Program in Rehabilitation, Graduate School of Health Science and Technology, Kawasaki University of Medical Welfare, Kurashiki-City, Okayama 701-0193, Japan
| | - Tomonori Kihara
- Department of Rehabilitation, Kasaoka Daiichi Hospital, Kasaoka-City, Okayama 714-0043, Japan
| | - Yuta Ishimaru
- Department of Rehabilitation, Kurashiki Sweet Hospital, Kurashiki-City, Okayama 710-0016, Japan
| | - Daisuke Kimura
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Kawasaki University of Medical Welfare, Kurashiki-City, Okayama 701-0193, Japan
| | - Akio Tsubahara
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Kawasaki University of Medical Welfare, Kurashiki-City, Okayama 701-0193, Japan
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5
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de Assis Chagas AM, Alves de Faria I, Saunier G, Bittencourt-Navarrete RE, Nogueira-Campos AA. Implicit action prediction constrains observed biological action reconstruction. Heliyon 2021; 7:e06189. [PMID: 33615007 PMCID: PMC7881215 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Voluntary movements include a predictive control of the sensory-motor consequences of executed or observed actions. The motor system predicts further steps of actions relying on its pure observation. This study seeks to disclose the interference of an implicit motor prediction effect during actions reconstruction. Videos of human actions directed to objects were presented to volunteers. Subsequently, they combined four static frames of those videos randomly arranged on the screen. Such combination could be chronological (from the beginning to the end of the action) or reverse (from the end to the beginning of the action). The observed actions were also biological (human movement) or non-biological (movement of objects). The grasping began with the actor's hand in a resting position over a table (Experiment I), or with his hand in contact with the object (Experiment II). In the first experiment, participants presented lower accuracy in the biological condition rearranging in chronological order. In the second experiment, however, the accuracy was lower in reverse order. The interpretation of such results is that the implicit predictive mechanisms interfered in the rearrangement of the frames. As an example: the expected movement after a grasping action whose outcome is capping a bottle would be the withdrawal of the hand. Therefore, combining frames of a recent seen action, volunteers present less accuracy if the first frame to be placed is counterintuitive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Mara de Assis Chagas
- LabNeuro - Laboratory of Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF), Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Isabella Alves de Faria
- LabNeuro - Laboratory of Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF), Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ghislain Saunier
- Laboratory of Motor Cognition, Department of Anatomy, Federal University of Pará (UFPA), Belém, Pará, Brazil
- Post-Graduation Program in Human Movement Sciences, Federal University of Pará (UFPA), Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Ruben E. Bittencourt-Navarrete
- LabNeuro - Laboratory of Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF), Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Anaelli A. Nogueira-Campos
- LabNeuro - Laboratory of Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF), Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Corresponding author.
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6
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Modulation of corticospinal output during goal-directed actions: Evidence for a contingent coding hypothesis. Neuropsychologia 2019; 134:107205. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.107205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Revised: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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7
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Amoruso L, Finisguerra A. Low or High-Level Motor Coding? The Role of Stimulus Complexity. Front Hum Neurosci 2019; 13:332. [PMID: 31680900 PMCID: PMC6798151 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) studies have shown that observing an action induces activity in the onlooker's motor system. In light of the muscle specificity and time-locked mirroring nature of the effect, this motor resonance has been traditionally viewed as an inner automatic replica of the observed movement. Notably, studies highlighting this aspect have classically considered movement in isolation (i.e., using non-realistic stimuli such as snapshots of hands detached from background). However, a few recent studies accounting for the role of contextual cues, motivational states, and social factors, have challenged this view by showing that motor resonance is not completely impervious to top-down modulations. A debate is still present. We reasoned that motor resonance reflects the inner replica of the observed movement only when its modulation is assessed during the observation of movements in isolation. Conversely, the presence of top-down modulations of motor resonance emerges when other high-level factors (i.e., contextual cues, past experience, social, and motivational states) are taken into account. Here, we attempt to lay out current TMS studies assessing this issue and discuss the results in terms of their potential to favor the inner replica or the top-down modulation hypothesis. In doing so, we seek to shed light on this actual debate and suggest specific avenues for future research, highlighting the need for a more ecological approach when studying motor resonance phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Amoruso
- Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, San Sebastian, Spain.,IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
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8
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Attention and cognitive load modulate motor resonance during action observation. Brain Cogn 2018; 128:7-16. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2018.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Revised: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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9
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Riach M, Holmes PS, Franklin ZC, Wright DJ. Observation of an action with a congruent contextual background facilitates corticospinal excitability: A combined TMS and eye-tracking experiment. Neuropsychologia 2018; 119:157-164. [PMID: 30098329 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2018] [Revised: 07/19/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Action observation produces activity in similar regions of the brain to those involved in action execution and can offer an effective intervention for motor (re)learning, although optimal viewing conditions for such interventions remain to be established. In this experiment, single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and eye-tracking were used simultaneously to investigate the effect of manipulating background context on both corticospinal excitability and visual attention during action observation. Twenty-four participants observed four different videos: (i) a static hand holding a sponge (control condition); and an index finger-thumb pinch of a sponge against (ii) a plain black background; (iii) a background containing objects that were incongruent with the observed action; and (iv) a background containing objects that were congruent with the observed action. TMS was delivered to the hand representation of the left primary motor cortex, and motor evoked potentials were recorded from the first dorsal interosseous and abductor digiti minimi muscles of the right hand. Eye movements were recorded throughout the experiment. Results indicated that corticospinal excitability was facilitated during the congruent context condition compared to both the static hand and plain black background conditions. In addition, the number of fixations and percentage of time participants spent fixating on the background scene were significantly greater during the incongruent and congruent conditions compared to the static hand and plain black background conditions. These results indicate that the provision of additional visual information that is congruent with the observed movement contributes to a facilitation of corticospinal excitability by providing the observer with information regarding the goal and intention of the observed action. Providing congruent contextual information may enhance the efficacy of action observation interventions for motor (re)learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Riach
- Research Centre for Musculoskeletal Science and Sports Medicine, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK.
| | - Paul S Holmes
- Research Centre for Musculoskeletal Science and Sports Medicine, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
| | - Zoë C Franklin
- Research Centre for Musculoskeletal Science and Sports Medicine, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
| | - David J Wright
- Research Centre for Musculoskeletal Science and Sports Medicine, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
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10
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Lo Gerfo E, Pisoni A, Ottone S, Ponzano F, Zarri L, Vergallito A, Varoli E, Fedeli D, Romero Lauro LJ. Goal Achievement Failure Drives Corticospinal Modulation in Promotion and Prevention Contexts. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:71. [PMID: 29740290 PMCID: PMC5928196 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
When making decisions, people are typically differently sensitive to gains and losses according to the motivational context in which the choice is performed. As hypothesized by Regulatory Focus Theory (RFT), indeed, goals are supposed to change in relation to the set of possible outcomes. In particular, in a promotion context, the goal is achieving the maximal gain, whereas in a prevention context it turns into avoiding the greatest loss. We explored the neurophysiological counterpart of this phenomenon, by applying Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and recording the motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in participants taking part in an economic game, in which they observed actions conveying different goal attainment levels, framed in different motivational contexts. More than the actual value of the economic exchange involved in the game, what affected motor cortex excitability was the goal attainment failure, corresponding to not achieving the maximal payoff in a promotion context and not avoiding the greatest snatch in a prevention context. Therefore, the results provide support for the key predictions of RFT, identifying a neural signature for the goal attainment failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuele Lo Gerfo
- Department of Economics, Management and Statistics, University of Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy.,NeuroMI-Milan Center for Neuroscience, Milan, Italy.,Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Economics, Psychology and Social Sciences, University of Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Alberto Pisoni
- NeuroMI-Milan Center for Neuroscience, Milan, Italy.,Department of Psychology, University of Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefania Ottone
- Department of Economics, Management and Statistics, University of Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy.,NeuroMI-Milan Center for Neuroscience, Milan, Italy.,Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Economics, Psychology and Social Sciences, University of Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Ferruccio Ponzano
- NeuroMI-Milan Center for Neuroscience, Milan, Italy.,Department of Political Science, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Vercelli, Italy
| | - Luca Zarri
- Department of Economics, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | | | - Erica Varoli
- NeuroMI-Milan Center for Neuroscience, Milan, Italy.,Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Davide Fedeli
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Leonor J Romero Lauro
- NeuroMI-Milan Center for Neuroscience, Milan, Italy.,Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Economics, Psychology and Social Sciences, University of Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy.,Department of Psychology, University of Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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11
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Puglisi G, Leonetti A, Landau A, Fornia L, Cerri G, Borroni P. The role of attention in human motor resonance. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0177457. [PMID: 28510605 PMCID: PMC5433684 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 04/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Observation of others' actions evokes in primary motor cortex and spinal circuits of observers a subliminal motor resonance response, which reflects the motor program encoding observed actions. We investigated the role of attention in human motor resonance with four experimental conditions, explored in different subject groups: in the first explicit condition, subjects were asked to observe a rhythmic hand flexion-extension movement performed live in front of them. In two other conditions subjects had to monitor the activity of a LED light mounted on the oscillating hand. The hand was clearly visible but it was not the focus of subjects' attention: in the semi-implicit condition hand movement was relevant to task completion, while in the implicit condition it was irrelevant. In a fourth, baseline, condition subjects observed the rhythmic oscillation of a metal platform. Motor resonance was measured with the H-reflex technique as the excitability modulation of cortico-spinal motorneurons driving a hand flexor muscle. As expected, a normal resonant response developed in the explicit condition, and no resonant response in the baseline condition. Resonant responses also developed in both semi-implicit and implicit conditions and, surprisingly, were not different from each other, indicating that viewing an action is, per se, a powerful stimulus for the action observation network, even when it is not the primary focus of subjects' attention and even when irrelevant to the task. However, the amplitude of these responses was much reduced compared to the explicit condition, and the phase-lock between the time courses of observed movement and resonant motor program was lost. In conclusion, different parameters of the response were differently affected by subtraction of attentional resources with respect to the explicit condition: time course and muscle selection were preserved while the activation of motor circuits resulted in much reduced amplitude and lost its kinematic specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guglielmo Puglisi
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Milano, Medical School, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonella Leonetti
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Milano, Medical School, Milan, Italy
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milano, Medical School, Milan, Italy
| | - Ayelet Landau
- Department of Psychology & Department of Cognitive Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Luca Fornia
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milano, Medical School, Milan, Italy
- Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Italy
| | - Gabriella Cerri
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milano, Medical School, Milan, Italy
- Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Italy
| | - Paola Borroni
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Milano, Medical School, Milan, Italy
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12
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Varlet M, Novembre G, Keller PE. Dynamical entrainment of corticospinal excitability during rhythmic movement observation: a Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation study. Eur J Neurosci 2017; 45:1465-1472. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Revised: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 04/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Varlet
- The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development Western Sydney University Locked Bag 1797 Penrith NSW 2751 Australia
| | - Giacomo Novembre
- The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development Western Sydney University Locked Bag 1797 Penrith NSW 2751 Australia
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology University College London London UK
| | - Peter E. Keller
- The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development Western Sydney University Locked Bag 1797 Penrith NSW 2751 Australia
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13
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Grasp-specific motor resonance is influenced by the visibility of the observed actor. Cortex 2016; 84:43-54. [PMID: 27697663 PMCID: PMC5084682 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2016.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Revised: 08/03/2016] [Accepted: 09/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Motor resonance is the modulation of M1 corticospinal excitability induced by observation of others' actions. Recent brain imaging studies have revealed that viewing videos of grasping actions led to a differential activation of the ventral premotor cortex depending on whether the entire person is viewed versus only their disembodied hand. Here we used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to examine motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) and abductor digiti minimi (ADM) during observation of videos or static images in which a whole person or merely the hand was seen reaching and grasping a peanut (precision grip) or an apple (whole hand grasp). Participants were presented with six visual conditions in which visual stimuli (video vs static image), view (whole person vs hand) and grasp (precision grip vs whole hand grasp) were varied in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design. Observing videos, but not static images, of a hand grasping different objects resulted in a grasp-specific interaction, such that FDI and ADM MEPs were differentially modulated depending on the type of grasp being observed (precision grip vs whole hand grasp). This interaction was present when observing the hand acting, but not when observing the whole person acting. Additional experiments revealed that these results were unlikely to be due to the relative size of the hand being observed. Our results suggest that observation of videos rather than static images is critical for motor resonance. Importantly, observing the whole person performing the action abolished the grasp-specific effect, which could be due to a variety of PMv inputs converging on M1.
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14
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Nogueira-Campos AA, Saunier G, Della-Maggiore V, De Oliveira LAS, Rodrigues EC, Vargas CD. Observing Grasping Actions Directed to Emotion-Laden Objects: Effects upon Corticospinal Excitability. Front Hum Neurosci 2016; 10:434. [PMID: 27625602 PMCID: PMC5004483 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2016] [Accepted: 08/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The motor system is recruited whenever one executes an action as well as when one observes the same action being executed by others. Although it is well established that emotion modulates the motor system, the effect of observing other individuals acting in an emotional context is particularly elusive. The main aim of this study was to investigate the effect induced by the observation of grasping directed to emotion-laden objects upon corticospinal excitability (CSE). Participants classified video-clips depicting the right-hand of an actor grasping emotion-laden objects. Twenty video-clips differing in terms of valence but balanced in arousal level were selected. Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were then recorded from the first dorsal interosseous using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) while the participants observed the selected emotional video-clips. During the video-clip presentation, TMS pulses were randomly applied at one of two different time points of grasping: (1) maximum grip aperture, and (2) object contact time. CSE was higher during the observation of grasping directed to unpleasant objects compared to pleasant ones. These results indicate that when someone observes an action of grasping directed to emotion-laden objects, the effect of the object valence promotes a specific modulation over the motor system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ghislain Saunier
- Laboratory of Motor Cognition, Department of Anatomy, Federal University of Pará Belém, Brazil
| | - Valeria Della-Maggiore
- IFIBIO Houssay, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Erika C Rodrigues
- Post-Graduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Unisuam Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Claudia D Vargas
- Laboratory of Neurobiology II, Neurobiology Program, Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho, Federal University of Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro, Brazil; Instituto de Neurologia Deolindo Couto, Federal University of Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro, Brazil
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15
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Jacquet PO, Roy AC, Chambon V, Borghi AM, Salemme R, Farnè A, Reilly KT. Changing ideas about others' intentions: updating prior expectations tunes activity in the human motor system. Sci Rep 2016; 6:26995. [PMID: 27243157 PMCID: PMC4886635 DOI: 10.1038/srep26995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 05/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Predicting intentions from observing another agent's behaviours is often thought to depend on motor resonance - i.e., the motor system's response to a perceived movement by the activation of its stored motor counterpart, but observers might also rely on prior expectations, especially when actions take place in perceptually uncertain situations. Here we assessed motor resonance during an action prediction task using transcranial magnetic stimulation to probe corticospinal excitability (CSE) and report that experimentally-induced updates in observers' prior expectations modulate CSE when predictions are made under situations of perceptual uncertainty. We show that prior expectations are updated on the basis of both biomechanical and probabilistic prior information and that the magnitude of the CSE modulation observed across participants is explained by the magnitude of change in their prior expectations. These findings provide the first evidence that when observers predict others' intentions, motor resonance mechanisms adapt to changes in their prior expectations. We propose that this adaptive adjustment might reflect a regulatory control mechanism that shares some similarities with that observed during action selection. Such a mechanism could help arbitrate the competition between biomechanical and probabilistic prior information when appropriate for prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre O. Jacquet
- Evolution and Social Cognition Group, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives (LNC), Département d’Etudes Cognitives, INSERM U960, Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, F-75005 Paris, France
- Evolution and Social Cognition Group, Institut Jean Nicod, Département d’Etudes Cognitives, CNRS UMR8129, Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Alice C. Roy
- Dynamique Du Langage, CNRS UMR 5596, University Lumières Lyon II, 69363 Lyon, France
| | - Valérian Chambon
- Evolution and Social Cognition Group, Institut Jean Nicod, Département d’Etudes Cognitives, CNRS UMR8129, Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, F-75005 Paris, France
- Department of Neuroscience, Biotech Campus-University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Anna M. Borghi
- Department of Psychology, Bologna University, 40127 Bologna, Italy
- Institute of Sciences and Technologies of Cognition, CNR, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Roméo Salemme
- ImpAct Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center CRNL, INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, & Hospices Civils de Lyon, Neuro-immersion & Mouvement et Handicap, 69675 Bron, France
- University Claude Bernard Lyon I, 69100 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Alessandro Farnè
- ImpAct Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center CRNL, INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, & Hospices Civils de Lyon, Neuro-immersion & Mouvement et Handicap, 69675 Bron, France
- University Claude Bernard Lyon I, 69100 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Karen T. Reilly
- ImpAct Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center CRNL, INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, & Hospices Civils de Lyon, Neuro-immersion & Mouvement et Handicap, 69675 Bron, France
- University Claude Bernard Lyon I, 69100 Villeurbanne, France
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16
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Gueugneau N, Bove M, Ballay Y, Papaxanthis C. Interhemispheric inhibition is dynamically regulated during action observation. Cortex 2016; 78:138-149. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2016.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2015] [Revised: 02/10/2016] [Accepted: 03/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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17
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Agosta S, Battelli L, Casile A. Human movements and abstract motion displays activate different processes in the observer's motor system. Neuroimage 2016; 130:184-193. [PMID: 26854559 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.01.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2015] [Revised: 01/28/2016] [Accepted: 01/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain imaging studies have shown that observation of both bodily movements and abstract motion displays complying with human kinematics activate the observer's motor cortex. However, it is unknown whether the same processes are active in the two conditions. Here, we addressed this issue using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to directly compare cortico-spinal excitability during observation of actions and motion stimuli that complied with or violated normal human kinematics. We found that kinematics significantly modulated the motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) produced by TMS during observation of both human and abstract motion stimuli. However, only the temporal unfolding of cortico-spinal excitability during observation of human movements significantly correlated with instantaneous stimulus velocity. This correlation was present for normal movements and also for a subset of the movements having unnatural kinematics. Furthermore, bodily movements for which we found no correlation between MEPs and stimulus velocity produced significantly higher MEPs. Our novel results suggest a dissociation in how human movements and abstract motion displays engage the observer's motor system. Specifically, while both stimulus types significantly activate the observer's motor cortex, only bodily movements produce patterns of cortico-spinal excitability that closely follow the velocity profile of the observed movement. This internal "re-enactment" of observed bodily movements seems to be only partially attuned to normal human kinematics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Agosta
- Center for Neurosciences and Cognitive Systems@UniTN, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Bettini 31, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
| | - Lorella Battelli
- Center for Neurosciences and Cognitive Systems@UniTN, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Bettini 31, 38068 Rovereto, Italy; Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation and Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 02115 Boston, USA
| | - Antonino Casile
- Center for Neurosciences and Cognitive Systems@UniTN, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Bettini 31, 38068 Rovereto, Italy; Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School,200 Longwood Avenue, 02115 Boston, MA, USA.
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18
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Betti S, Castiello U, Sartori L. Kick with the finger: symbolic actions shape motor cortex excitability. Eur J Neurosci 2015; 42:2860-6. [PMID: 26354677 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2015] [Revised: 09/02/2015] [Accepted: 09/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
A large body of research indicates that observing actions made by others is associated with corresponding motor facilitation of the observer's corticospinal system. However, it is still controversial whether this matching mechanism strictly reflects the kinematics of the observed action or its meaning. To test this issue, motor evoked potentials induced by single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation were recorded from hand and leg muscles while participants observed a symbolic action carried out with the index finger, but classically performed with the leg (i.e., a soccer penalty kick). A control condition in which participants observed a similar (but not symbolic) hand movement was also included. Results showed that motor facilitation occurs both in the observer's hand (first dorsal interosseous) and leg (quadriceps femoris) muscles. The present study provides evidence that both the kinematics and the symbolic value of an observed action are able to modulate motor cortex excitability. The human motor system is thus not only involved in mirroring observed actions but is also finely tuned to their symbolic value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Betti
- Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale, Università di Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Umberto Castiello
- Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale, Università di Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131, Padova, Italy.,Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy.,Centro Linceo Interdisciplinare Beniamino Segre, Accademia dei Lincei, Roma, Italy
| | - Luisa Sartori
- Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale, Università di Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131, Padova, Italy.,Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy
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Finisguerra A, Maffongelli L, Bassolino M, Jacono M, Pozzo T, D'Ausilio A. Generalization of motor resonance during the observation of hand, mouth, and eye movements. J Neurophysiol 2015; 114:2295-304. [PMID: 26289463 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00433.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2015] [Accepted: 08/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the motor cortex shows that hand action observation (AO) modulates corticospinal excitability (CSE). CSE modulation alternatively maps low-level kinematic characteristics or higher-level features, like object-directed action goals. However, action execution is achieved through the control of muscle synergies, consisting of coordinated patterns of muscular activity during natural movements, rather than single muscles or object-directed goals. This synergistic organization of action execution also underlies the ability to produce the same functional output (i.e., grasping an object) using different effectors. We hypothesize that motor system activation during AO may rely on similar principles. To investigate this issue, we recorded both hand CSE and TMS-evoked finger movements which provide a much more complete description of coordinated patterns of muscular activity. Subjects passively watched hand, mouth and eyelid opening or closing, which are performing non-object-directed (intransitive) actions. Hand and mouth share the same potential to grasp objects, whereas eyelid does not allow object-directed (transitive) actions. Hand CSE modulation generalized to all effectors, while TMS evoked finger movements only to mouth AO. Such dissociation suggests that the two techniques may have different sensitivities to fine motor modulations induced by AO. Differently from evoked movements, which are sensitive to the possibility to achieve object-directed action, CSE is generically modulated by "opening" vs. "closing" movements, independently of which effector was observed. We propose that motor activities during AO might exploit the same synergistic mechanisms shown for the neural control of movement and organized around a limited set of motor primitives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Finisguerra
- Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, Italian Institute of Technology, Genova, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze Umane, Università Degli Studi di Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Laura Maffongelli
- Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, Italian Institute of Technology, Genova, Italy
| | - Michela Bassolino
- Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, Italian Institute of Technology, Genova, Italy; Center for Neuroprosthetics, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; and
| | - Marco Jacono
- Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, Italian Institute of Technology, Genova, Italy
| | - Thierry Pozzo
- Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, Italian Institute of Technology, Genova, Italy; IUF, INSERM U1093 Cognition, Action et Plasticité Sensorimotrice, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | - Alessandro D'Ausilio
- Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, Italian Institute of Technology, Genova, Italy;
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20
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Gueugneau N, Mc Cabe SI, Villalta JI, Grafton ST, Della-Maggiore V. Direct mapping rather than motor prediction subserves modulation of corticospinal excitability during observation of actions in real time. J Neurophysiol 2015; 113:3700-7. [PMID: 25810483 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00416.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2014] [Accepted: 03/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Motor facilitation refers to the specific increment in corticospinal excitability (CSE) elicited by the observation of actions performed by others. To date, the precise nature of the mechanism at the basis of this phenomenon is unknown. One possibility is that motor facilitation is driven by a predictive process reminiscent of the role of forward models in motor control. Alternatively, motor facilitation may result from a model-free mechanism by which the basic elements of the observed action are directly mapped onto their cortical representations. Our study was designed to discern these alternatives. To this aim, we recorded the time course of CSE for the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) and the abductor digiti minimi (ADM) during observation of three grasping actions in real time, two of which strongly diverged in kinematics from their natural (invariant) form. Although artificially slow movements used in most action observation studies might enhance the observer's discrimination performance, the use of videos in real time is crucial to maintain the time course of CSE within the physiological range of daily actions. CSE was measured at 4 time points within a 240-ms window that best captured the kinematic divergence from the invariant form. Our results show that CSE of the FDI, not the ADM, closely follows the functional role of the muscle despite the mismatch between the natural and the divergent kinematics. We propose that motor facilitation during observation of actions performed in real time reflects the model-free coding of perceived movement following a direct mapping mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Gueugneau
- Institute of Physiology and Biophysics Bernardo Houssay (IFIBIO Houssay), Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; and
| | - Sofia I Mc Cabe
- Institute of Physiology and Biophysics Bernardo Houssay (IFIBIO Houssay), Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; and
| | - Jorge I Villalta
- Institute of Physiology and Biophysics Bernardo Houssay (IFIBIO Houssay), Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; and
| | - Scott T Grafton
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California
| | - Valeria Della-Maggiore
- Institute of Physiology and Biophysics Bernardo Houssay (IFIBIO Houssay), Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; and
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