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Angelini M, Del Vecchio M, Lopomo NF, Gobbo M, Avanzini P. Perspective-dependent activation of frontoparietal circuits during the observation of a static body effector. Brain Res 2021; 1769:147604. [PMID: 34332965 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2021.147604] [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: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The perspective from which body-related stimuli are observed plays a fundamental role in modulating cerebral activity during the processing of others' bodies and actions. Previous research has shown perspective-dependent cerebral responses during the observation of both ongoing actions and static images of an acting body with implied motion information, with an advantage for the egocentric viewpoint. The present high-density EEG study assessed event-related potentials triggered by the presentation of a forearm at rest before reach-to-grasp actions, shown from four different viewpoints. Through a spatiotemporal analysis of the scalp electric field and the localization of cortical generators, our study revealed overall different processing for the third-person perspective relative to other viewpoints, mainly due to a later activation of motor-premotor regions. Since observing a static body effector often precedes action observation, our results integrate previous evidence of perspective-dependent encoding, with cascade implications on the design of neurorehabilitative or motor learning interventions based on action observation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Angelini
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Istituto di Neuroscienze, Sede di Parma, Parma, Italy; Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Informazione, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
| | - Maria Del Vecchio
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Istituto di Neuroscienze, Sede di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Nicola Francesco Lopomo
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Informazione, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Gobbo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e Sperimentali, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Pietro Avanzini
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Istituto di Neuroscienze, Sede di Parma, Parma, Italy.
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Cervetto S, Díaz-Rivera M, Petroni A, Birba A, Caro MM, Sedeño L, Ibáñez A, García AM. The Neural Blending of Words and Movement: Event-Related Potential Signatures of Semantic and Action Processes during Motor-Language Coupling. J Cogn Neurosci 2021; 33:1413-1427. [PMID: 34496378 PMCID: PMC11115968 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral embodied research shows that words evoking limb-specific meanings can affect responses performed with the corresponding body part. However, no study has explored this phenomenon's neural dynamics under implicit processing conditions, let alone by disentangling its conceptual and motoric stages. Here, we examined whether the blending of hand actions and manual action verbs, relative to nonmanual action verbs and nonaction verbs, modulates electrophysiological markers of semantic integration (N400) and motor-related cortical potentials during a lexical decision task. Relative to both other categories, manual action verbs involved reduced posterior N400 amplitude and greater modulations of frontal motor-related cortical potentials. Such effects overlapped in a window of ∼380-440 msec after word presentation and ∼180 msec before response execution, revealing the possible time span in which both semantic and action-related stages reach maximal convergence. These results allow refining current models of motor-language coupling while affording new insights on embodied dynamics at large.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Cervetto
- Departamento de Educación Física y Salud, Instituto Superior de Educación Física, Universidad de la República, Uruguay
| | - Mariano Díaz-Rivera
- Centro de Neurociencias Cognitivas, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (ANPCyT), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustín Petroni
- Instituto de Ingeniería Biomédica, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Laboratorio de Inteligencia Artificial Aplicada, Departamento de Computación, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, ICC-CONICET, Argentina
| | - Agustina Birba
- Centro de Neurociencias Cognitivas, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Miguel Martorell Caro
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lucas Sedeño
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustín Ibáñez
- Centro de Neurociencias Cognitivas, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, United States, and Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibañez, Chile
| | - Adolfo M García
- Centro de Neurociencias Cognitivas, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, United States, and Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
- Faculty of Education, National University of Cuyo (UNCuyo), Mendoza, Argentina
- Departamento de Lingüística y Literatura, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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Abstract
Anticipating meaningful actions in the environment is an essential function of the brain. Such predictive mechanisms originate from the motor system and allow for inferring actions from environmental affordances, and the potential to act within a specific environment. Using architecture, we provide a unique perspective on the ongoing debate in cognitive neuroscience and philosophy on whether cognition depends on movement or is decoupled from our physical structure. To investigate cognitive processes associated with architectural affordances, we used a mobile brain/body imaging approach recording brain activity synchronized to head-mounted displays. Participants perceived and acted on virtual transitions ranging from nonpassable to easily passable. We found that early sensory brain activity, on revealing the environment and before actual movement, differed as a function of affordances. In addition, movement through transitions was preceded by a motor-related negative component that also depended on affordances. Our results suggest that potential actions afforded by an environment influence perception.
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Armstrong S, Sale MV, Cunnington R. Neural Oscillations and the Initiation of Voluntary Movement. Front Psychol 2018; 9:2509. [PMID: 30618939 PMCID: PMC6307533 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain processes involved in the planning and initiation of voluntary action are of great interest for understanding the relationship between conscious awareness of decisions and the neural control of movement. Voluntary motor behavior has generally been considered to occur when conscious decisions trigger movements. However, several studies now provide compelling evidence that brain states indicative of forthcoming movements take place before a person becomes aware of a conscious decision to act. While such studies have created much debate over the nature of ‘free will,’ at the very least they suggest that unconscious brain processes are predictive of forthcoming movements. Recent studies suggest that slow changes in neuroelectric potentials may play a role in the timing of movement onset by pushing brain activity above a threshold to trigger the initiation of action. Indeed, recent studies have shown relationships between the phase of low frequency oscillatory activity of the brain and the onset of voluntary action. Such studies, however, cannot determine whether this underlying neural activity plays a causal role in the initiation of movement or is only associated with the intentional behavior. Non-invasive transcranial alternating current brain stimulation can entrain neural activity at particular frequencies in order to assess whether underlying brain processes are causally related to associated behaviors. In this review, we examine the evidence for neural coding of action as well as the brain states prior to action initiation and discuss whether low frequency alternating current brain stimulation could influence the timing of a persons’ decision to act.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Armstrong
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Martin V Sale
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Ross Cunnington
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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Nishimura Y, Ikeda Y, Higuchi S. The relationship between inhibition of automatic imitation and personal cognitive styles. J Physiol Anthropol 2018; 37:24. [PMID: 30373664 PMCID: PMC6206732 DOI: 10.1186/s40101-018-0184-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of the inhibition of automatic imitation in social interactions. Additionally, cognitive traits are known to vary among individuals. According to the empathizing-systemizing (E-S) model, personality can be quantified by empathizing and systemizing drives in causal cognition. Since inhibition of automatic imitation is strongly related to social cognition, the level of inhibition may be explained by personal cognitive traits. Thus, the current study tested whether cognitive traits, measured based on the E-S model, correlated with levels of automatic imitation inhibition. Methods The empathizing-systemizing quotient (EQ-SQ) questionnaire was used to assess cognitive traits. Behavioral and electroencephalogram data were acquired during the imitation inhibition task. In addition to reaction time, based on signal detection theory, task sensitivity and response bias were calculated from reaction data. As a physiological measure of automatic imitation, mu rhythm power suppression was calculated from electroencephalogram data. Congruency effects for reaction time and electroencephalogram measures were calculated by subtracting congruent trials from incongruent trails. Results Correlation analyses between cognitive traits and task measures were conducted. There was a negative correlation found between EQ score and the behavioral index reflecting task performance. Moreover, a negative correlation was found between SQ score and the congruency effect on mu suppression. Conclusions Participants with higher EQ scored relatively lower in inhibiting their responses. Conversely, high SQ participants showed successful inhibition of mu suppression. The imitative tendency may disturb the inhibition of response. The correlation between SQ and mu index suggests the involvement of domain-general information processing on imitation inhibition; however, further research is required to determine this. Since different correlations were found for behavioral and physiological measures, these measures may reflect different steps of information processing for successful task execution. Through correlational analysis, a possible relation was identified between the inhibiting process of automatic imitation and personal cognitive styles on social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Nishimura
- Graduate School of Integrated Frontier Sciences, Kyushu University, 4-9-1 Shiobaru, Minami-ku, Fukuoka, 8158540, Japan. .,Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, 4-9-1 Shiobaru, Minami-ku, Fukuoka, 8158540, Japan.
| | - Yuki Ikeda
- Graduate School of Integrated Frontier Sciences, Kyushu University, 4-9-1 Shiobaru, Minami-ku, Fukuoka, 8158540, Japan.,Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, 4-9-1 Shiobaru, Minami-ku, Fukuoka, 8158540, Japan
| | - Shigekazu Higuchi
- Faculty of Design, Kyushu University, 4-9-1 Shiobaru, Minami-ku, Fukuoka, 8158540, Japan
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Di Russo F, Berchicci M, Bozzacchi C, Perri R, Pitzalis S, Spinelli D. Beyond the “Bereitschaftspotential”: Action preparation behind cognitive functions. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 78:57-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Revised: 04/13/2017] [Accepted: 04/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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Hemispheric asymmetries in the transition from action preparation to execution. Neuroimage 2017; 148:390-402. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2016] [Revised: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
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