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Basile GA, Tatti E, Bertino S, Milardi D, Genovese G, Bruno A, Muscatello MRA, Ciurleo R, Cerasa A, Quartarone A, Cacciola A. Neuroanatomical correlates of peripersonal space: bridging the gap between perception, action, emotion and social cognition. Brain Struct Funct 2024; 229:1047-1072. [PMID: 38683211 PMCID: PMC11147881 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-024-02781-9] [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: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Peripersonal space (PPS) is a construct referring to the portion of space immediately surrounding our bodies, where most of the interactions between the subject and the environment, including other individuals, take place. Decades of animal and human neuroscience research have revealed that the brain holds a separate representation of this region of space: this distinct spatial representation has evolved to ensure proper relevance to stimuli that are close to the body and prompt an appropriate behavioral response. The neural underpinnings of such construct have been thoroughly investigated by different generations of studies involving anatomical and electrophysiological investigations in animal models, and, recently, neuroimaging experiments in human subjects. Here, we provide a comprehensive anatomical overview of the anatomical circuitry underlying PPS representation in the human brain. Gathering evidence from multiple areas of research, we identified cortical and subcortical regions that are involved in specific aspects of PPS encoding.We show how these regions are part of segregated, yet integrated functional networks within the brain, which are in turn involved in higher-order integration of information. This wide-scale circuitry accounts for the relevance of PPS encoding in multiple brain functions, including not only motor planning and visuospatial attention but also emotional and social cognitive aspects. A complete characterization of these circuits may clarify the derangements of PPS representation observed in different neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianpaolo Antonio Basile
- Brain Mapping Lab, Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
| | - Elisa Tatti
- Department of Molecular, Cellular & Biomedical Sciences, CUNY, School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10031, USA
| | - Salvatore Bertino
- Brain Mapping Lab, Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Demetrio Milardi
- Brain Mapping Lab, Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | | | - Antonio Bruno
- Psychiatry Unit, University Hospital "G. Martino", Messina, Italy
- Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Maria Rosaria Anna Muscatello
- Psychiatry Unit, University Hospital "G. Martino", Messina, Italy
- Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | | | - Antonio Cerasa
- S. Anna Institute, Crotone, Italy
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council of Italy, Messina, Italy
- Pharmacotechnology Documentation and Transfer Unit, Preclinical and Translational Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy, Health Science and Nutrition, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | | | - Alberto Cacciola
- Brain Mapping Lab, Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
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Ishida H, Grandi LC, Fornia L. Secondary somatosensory and posterior insular cortices: a somatomotor hub for object prehension and manipulation movements. Front Integr Neurosci 2024; 18:1346968. [PMID: 38725800 PMCID: PMC11079213 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2024.1346968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The secondary somatosensory cortex (SII) and posterior insular cortex (pIC) are recognized for processing touch and movement information during hand manipulation in humans and non-human primates. However, their involvement in three-dimensional (3D) object manipulation remains unclear. To investigate neural activity related to hand manipulation in the SII/pIC, we trained two macaque monkeys to grasp three objects (a cone, a plate, and a ring) and engage in visual fixation on the object. Our results revealed that 19.4% (n = 50/257) of the task-related neurons in SII/pIC were active during hand manipulations, but did not respond to passive somatosensory stimuli. Among these neurons, 44% fired before hand-object contact (reaching to grasping neurons), 30% maintained tonic activity after contact (holding neurons), and 26% showed continuous discharge before and after contact (non-selective neurons). Object grasping-selectivity varied and was weak among these neurons, with only 24% responding to fixation of a 3D object (visuo-motor neurons). Even neurons unresponsive to passive visual stimuli showed responses to set-related activity before the onset of movement (42%, n = 21/50). Our findings suggest that somatomotor integration within SII/pIC is probably integral to all prehension sequences, including reaching, grasping, and object manipulation movements. Moreover, the existence of a set-related activity within SII/pIC may play a role in directing somatomotor attention during object prehension-manipulation in the absence of vision. Overall, SII/pIC may play a role as a somatomotor hub within the lateral grasping network that supports the generation of intentional hand actions based on haptic information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroaki Ishida
- Department of Neuroscience, Unit of Physiology, Parma University, Parma, Italy
- Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Brain Center for Social and Motor Cognition (BCSMC), Parma, Italy
| | - Laura Clara Grandi
- Department of Neuroscience, Unit of Physiology, Parma University, Parma, Italy
| | - Luca Fornia
- Department of Neuroscience, Unit of Physiology, Parma University, Parma, Italy
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Felippin MR, Azevedo IL, Saunier G, Keniston L, Nogueira-Campos AA. Grasping affordance judgments depend on the object emotional value. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 18:1331253. [PMID: 38566999 PMCID: PMC10986176 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1331253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The concept of affordance refers to the opportunities for action provided by the environment, often conveyed through visual information. It has been applied to explain visuomotor processing and movement planning. As emotion modulates both visual perception and the motor system, it is reasonable to ask whether emotion can influence affordance judgments. If present, this relationship can have important ontological implications for affordances. Thus, we investigated whether the emotional value of manipulable objects affected the judgment of the appropriate grasping that could be used to interact with them (i.e., their affordance). Methods Volunteers were instructed to use a numerical scale to report their judgment on how an observed object should be grasped. We compared these judgments across emotional categories of objects (pleasant, unpleasant and neutral), while also considering the expected effect of object size. Results We found that unpleasant objects were rated as more appropriately graspable by a precision grip than pleasant and neutral objects. Simultaneously, smaller object size also favored this judgment. This effect was seen in all emotional categories examined in equal magnitude. Discussion Our findings suggest that the emotional value of objects modulates affordance judgments in a way that favors careful manipulation and minimal physical contact with aversive stimuli. Finally, we discuss how this affective aspect of our experience of objects overlaps with what affordances are conceptualized to be, calling for further reexamination of the relationship between affordances and emotions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matheus Ribeiro Felippin
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neurophysiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Biophysics and Physiology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF), Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Post-Graduation Program in Biological Sciences, Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ivo Lopes Azevedo
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neurophysiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Biophysics and Physiology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF), Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Post-Graduation Program in Biological Sciences, Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ghislain Saunier
- Laboratory of Motor Cognition, Department of Anatomy, Federal University of Pará (UFPA), Belém, Brazil
- Post-Graduation Program in Human Movement Sciences, Federal University of Pará (UFPA), Belém, Brazil
| | - Les Keniston
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of Pikeville, Pikeville, KY, United States
| | - Anaelli Aparecida Nogueira-Campos
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neurophysiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Biophysics and Physiology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF), Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Post-Graduation Program in Rehabilitation Sciences and Physical-Functional Performance, Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF), Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Dolfini E, Cardellicchio P, Fadiga L, D'Ausilio A. The role of dorsal premotor cortex in joint action inhibition. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4675. [PMID: 38409309 PMCID: PMC10897189 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54448-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Behavioral interpersonal coordination requires smooth negotiation of actions in time and space (joint action-JA). Inhibitory control may play a role in fine-tuning appropriate coordinative responses. To date, little research has been conducted on motor inhibition during JA and on the modulatory influence that premotor areas might exert on inhibitory control. Here, we used an interactive task in which subjects were required to reach and open a bottle using one hand. The bottle was held and stabilized by a co-actor (JA) or by a mechanical holder (vice clamp, no-JA). We recorded two TMS-based indices of inhibition (short-interval intracortical inhibition-sICI; cortical silent period-cSP) during the reaching phase of the task. These reflect fast intracortical (GABAa-mediated) and slow corticospinal (GABAb-mediated) inhibition. Offline continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) was used to interfere with dorsal premotor cortex (PMd), ventral premotor cortex (PMv), and control site (vertex) before the execution of the task. Our results confirm a dissociation between fast and slow inhibition during JA coordination and provide evidence that premotor areas drive only slow inhibitory mechanisms, which in turn may reflect behavioral co-adaptation between trials. Exploratory analyses further suggest that PMd, more than PMv, is the key source of modulatory drive sculpting movements, according to the socio-interactive context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Dolfini
- Department of Neurosciences and Rehabilitation Section of Physiology, Università di Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121, Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Pasquale Cardellicchio
- Department of Neurosciences and Rehabilitation Section of Physiology, Università di Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Luciano Fadiga
- IIT@UniFe Center for Translational Neurophysiology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
- Department of Neurosciences and Rehabilitation Section of Physiology, Università di Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Alessandro D'Ausilio
- IIT@UniFe Center for Translational Neurophysiology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
- Department of Neurosciences and Rehabilitation Section of Physiology, Università di Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 17-19, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
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Tariciotti L, Mattioli L, Viganò L, Gallo M, Gambaretti M, Sciortino T, Gay L, Conti Nibali M, Gallotti A, Cerri G, Bello L, Rossi M. Object-oriented hand dexterity and grasping abilities, from the animal quarters to the neurosurgical OR: a systematic review of the underlying neural correlates in non-human, human primate and recent findings in awake brain surgery. Front Integr Neurosci 2024; 18:1324581. [PMID: 38425673 PMCID: PMC10902498 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2024.1324581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The sensorimotor integrations subserving object-oriented manipulative actions have been extensively investigated in non-human primates via direct approaches, as intracortical micro-stimulation (ICMS), cytoarchitectonic analysis and anatomical tracers. However, the understanding of the mechanisms underlying complex motor behaviors is yet to be fully integrated in brain mapping paradigms and the consistency of these findings with intraoperative data obtained during awake neurosurgical procedures for brain tumor removal is still largely unexplored. Accordingly, there is a paucity of systematic studies reviewing the cross-species analogies in neural activities during object-oriented hand motor tasks in primates and investigating the concordance with intraoperative findings during brain mapping. The current systematic review was designed to summarize the cortical and subcortical neural correlates of object-oriented fine hand actions, as revealed by fMRI and PET studies, in non-human and human primates and how those were translated into neurosurgical studies testing dexterous hand-movements during intraoperative brain mapping. Methods A systematic literature review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science databases were searched. Original articles were included if they: (1) investigated cortical activation sites on fMRI and/or PET during grasping task; (2) included humans or non-human primates. A second query was designed on the databases above to collect studies reporting motor, hand manipulation and dexterity tasks for intraoperative brain mapping in patients undergoing awake brain surgery for any condition. Due to the heterogeneity in neurosurgical applications, a qualitative synthesis was deemed more appropriate. Results We provided an updated overview of the current state of the art in translational neuroscience about the extended frontoparietal grasping-praxis network with a specific focus on the comparative functioning in non-human primates, healthy humans and how the latter knowledge has been implemented in the neurosurgical operating room during brain tumor resection. Discussion The anatomical and functional correlates we reviewed confirmed the evolutionary continuum from monkeys to humans, allowing a cautious but practical adoption of such evidence in intraoperative brain mapping protocols. Integrating the previous results in the surgical practice helps preserve complex motor abilities, prevent long-term disability and poor quality of life and allow the maximal safe resection of intrinsic brain tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Tariciotti
- Neurosurgical Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Mattioli
- Neurosurgical Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Viganò
- Neurosurgical Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Gallo
- Neurosurgical Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Gambaretti
- Neurosurgical Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Tommaso Sciortino
- Neurosurgical Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Gay
- Neurosurgical Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Conti Nibali
- Neurosurgical Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Alberto Gallotti
- Neurosurgical Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Gabriella Cerri
- MoCA Laboratory, Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Bello
- Neurosurgical Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Rossi
- Neurosurgical Oncology Unit, Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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6
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Lhuillier S, Dutriaux L, Nicolas S, Gyselinck V. Manipulating objects during learning shrinks the global scale of spatial representations in memory: a virtual reality study. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2656. [PMID: 38302577 PMCID: PMC10834426 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53239-1] [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: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Goal-directed approaches to perception usually consider that distance perception is shaped by the body and its potential for interaction. Although this phenomenon has been extensively investigated in the field of perception, little is known about the effect of motor interactions on memory, and how they shape the global representation of large-scale spaces. To investigate this question, we designed an immersive virtual reality environment in which participants had to learn the positions of several items. Half of the participants had to physically (but virtually) grab the items with their hand and drop them at specified locations (active condition). The other half of the participants were simply shown the items which appeared at the specified position without interacting with them (passive condition). Half of the items used during learning were images of manipulable objects, and the other half were non manipulable objects. Participants were subsequently asked to draw a map of the virtual environment from memory, and to position all the items in it. Results show that active participants recalled the global shape of the spatial layout less precisely, and made more absolute distance errors than passive participants. Moreover, global scaling compression bias was higher for active participants than for passive participants. Interestingly, manipulable items showed a greater compression bias compared to non-manipulable items, yet they had no effect on correlation scores and absolute non-directional distance errors. These results are discussed according to grounded approaches of spatial cognition, emphasizing motor simulation as a possible mechanism for position retrieval from memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Lhuillier
- LaPEA, Université Gustave Eiffel, Université de Paris, 78000, Versailles, France.
- LMC2, Université Paris-Cité, 92012, Boulogne-Billancourt, France.
| | - L Dutriaux
- Laboratoire d'Étude des Mécanismes Cognitifs, Université Lumière Lyon 2, Lyon, France
| | - S Nicolas
- LMC2, Université Paris-Cité, 92012, Boulogne-Billancourt, France
| | - V Gyselinck
- LaPEA, Université Gustave Eiffel, Université de Paris, 78000, Versailles, France
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Luu P, Tucker DM, Friston K. From active affordance to active inference: vertical integration of cognition in the cerebral cortex through dual subcortical control systems. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhad458. [PMID: 38044461 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad458] [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: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In previous papers, we proposed that the dorsal attention system's top-down control is regulated by the dorsal division of the limbic system, providing a feedforward or impulsive form of control generating expectancies during active inference. In contrast, we proposed that the ventral attention system is regulated by the ventral limbic division, regulating feedback constraints and error-correction for active inference within the neocortical hierarchy. Here, we propose that these forms of cognitive control reflect vertical integration of subcortical arousal control systems that evolved for specific forms of behavior control. The feedforward impetus to action is regulated by phasic arousal, mediated by lemnothalamic projections from the reticular activating system of the lower brainstem, and then elaborated by the hippocampus and dorsal limbic division. In contrast, feedback constraint-based on environmental requirements-is regulated by the tonic activation furnished by collothalamic projections from the midbrain arousal control centers, and then sustained and elaborated by the amygdala, basal ganglia, and ventral limbic division. In an evolutionary-developmental analysis, understanding these differing forms of active affordance-for arousal and motor control within the subcortical vertebrate neuraxis-may help explain the evolution of active inference regulating the cognition of expectancy and error-correction within the mammalian 6-layered neocortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phan Luu
- Brain Electrophysiology Laboratory Company, Riverfront Research Park, 1776 Millrace Dr., Eugene, OR 97403, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, United States
| | - Don M Tucker
- Brain Electrophysiology Laboratory Company, Riverfront Research Park, 1776 Millrace Dr., Eugene, OR 97403, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, United States
| | - Karl Friston
- The Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom
- VERSES AI Research Lab, Los Angeles, CA 90016, USA
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8
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Wang J, Yang J, Yang Z, Gao W, Zhang H, Ji K, Klugah-Brown B, Yuan J, Biswal BB. Boosting interpersonal emotion regulation through facial imitation: functional neuroimaging foundations. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhad402. [PMID: 37943770 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad402] [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: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Empathic function, which is primarily manifested by facial imitation, is believed to play a pivotal role in interpersonal emotion regulation for mood reinstatement. To explore this association and its neural substrates, we performed a questionnaire survey (study l) to identify the relationship between empathy and interpersonal emotion regulation; and a task-mode fMRI study (study 2) to explore how facial imitation, as a fundamental component of empathic processes, promotes the interpersonal emotion regulation effect. Study 1 showed that affective empathy was positively correlated with interpersonal emotion regulation. Study 2 showed smaller negative emotions in facial imitation interpersonal emotion regulation (subjects imitated experimenter's smile while followed the interpersonal emotion regulation guidance) than in normal interpersonal emotion regulation (subjects followed the interpersonal emotion regulation guidance) and Watch conditions. Mirror neural system (e.g. inferior frontal gyrus and inferior parietal lobe) and empathy network exhibited greater activations in facial imitation interpersonal emotion regulation compared with normal interpersonal emotion regulation condition. Moreover, facial imitation interpersonal emotion regulation compared with normal interpersonal emotion regulation exhibited increased functional coupling from mirror neural system to empathic and affective networks during interpersonal emotion regulation. Furthermore, the connectivity of the right orbital inferior frontal gyrus-rolandic operculum lobe mediated the association between the accuracy of facial imitation and the interpersonal emotion regulation effect. These results show that the interpersonal emotion regulation effect can be enhanced by the target's facial imitation through increased functional coupling from mirror neural system to empathic and affective neural networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiazheng Wang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Jiemin Yang
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Psychology and Behavior of Discipline Inspection and Supervision, Institute of Brain and Psychological Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Zhenzhen Yang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Wei Gao
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Psychology and Behavior of Discipline Inspection and Supervision, Institute of Brain and Psychological Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - HeMing Zhang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Katherine Ji
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, United States
| | - Benjamin Klugah-Brown
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - JiaJin Yuan
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Psychology and Behavior of Discipline Inspection and Supervision, Institute of Brain and Psychological Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Bharat B Biswal
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610041, China
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, United States
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9
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Bosco A, Sanz Diez P, Filippini M, De Vitis M, Fattori P. A focus on the multiple interfaces between action and perception and their neural correlates. Neuropsychologia 2023; 191:108722. [PMID: 37931747 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108722] [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: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Successful behaviour relies on the appropriate interplay between action and perception. The well-established dorsal and ventral stream theories depicted two distinct functional pathways for the processes of action and perception, respectively. In physiological conditions, the two pathways closely cooperate in order to produce successful adaptive behaviour. As the coupling between perception and action exists, this requires an interface that is responsible for a common reading of the two functions. Several studies have proposed different types of perception and action interfaces, suggesting their role in the creation of the shared interaction channel. In the present review, we describe three possible perception and action interfaces: i) the motor code, including common coding approaches, ii) attention, and iii) object affordance; we highlight their potential neural correlates. From this overview, a recurrent neural substrate that underlies all these interface functions appears to be crucial: the parieto-frontal circuit. This network is involved in the mirror mechanism which underlies the perception and action interfaces identified as common coding and motor code theories. The same network is also involved in the spotlight of attention and in the encoding of potential action towards objects; these are manifested in the perception and action interfaces for common attention and object affordance, respectively. Within this framework, most studies were dedicated to the description of the role of the inferior parietal lobule; growing evidence, however, suggests that the superior parietal lobule also plays a crucial role in the interplay between action and perception. The present review proposes a novel model that is inclusive of the superior parietal regions and their relative contribution to the different action and perception interfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Bosco
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Piazza di Porta San Donato 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy; Alma Mater Research Institute For Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (Alma Human AI), University of Bologna, Via Galliera 3 Bologna, 40121, Bologna, Italy.
| | - P Sanz Diez
- Carl Zeiss Vision International GmbH, Turnstrasse 27, 73430, Aalen, Germany; Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Straße 7, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - M Filippini
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Piazza di Porta San Donato 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy; Alma Mater Research Institute For Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (Alma Human AI), University of Bologna, Via Galliera 3 Bologna, 40121, Bologna, Italy
| | - M De Vitis
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Piazza di Porta San Donato 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - P Fattori
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Piazza di Porta San Donato 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy; Alma Mater Research Institute For Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (Alma Human AI), University of Bologna, Via Galliera 3 Bologna, 40121, Bologna, Italy
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10
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Klein LK, Maiello G, Stubbs K, Proklova D, Chen J, Paulun VC, Culham JC, Fleming RW. Distinct Neural Components of Visually Guided Grasping during Planning and Execution. J Neurosci 2023; 43:8504-8514. [PMID: 37848285 PMCID: PMC10711727 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0335-23.2023] [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: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Selecting suitable grasps on three-dimensional objects is a challenging visuomotor computation, which involves combining information about an object (e.g., its shape, size, and mass) with information about the actor's body (e.g., the optimal grasp aperture and hand posture for comfortable manipulation). Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate brain networks associated with these distinct aspects during grasp planning and execution. Human participants of either sex viewed and then executed preselected grasps on L-shaped objects made of wood and/or brass. By leveraging a computational approach that accurately predicts human grasp locations, we selected grasp points that disentangled the role of multiple grasp-relevant factors, that is, grasp axis, grasp size, and object mass. Representational Similarity Analysis revealed that grasp axis was encoded along dorsal-stream regions during grasp planning. Grasp size was first encoded in ventral stream areas during grasp planning then in premotor regions during grasp execution. Object mass was encoded in ventral stream and (pre)motor regions only during grasp execution. Premotor regions further encoded visual predictions of grasp comfort, whereas the ventral stream encoded grasp comfort during execution, suggesting its involvement in haptic evaluation. These shifts in neural representations thus capture the sensorimotor transformations that allow humans to grasp objects.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Grasping requires integrating object properties with constraints on hand and arm postures. Using a computational approach that accurately predicts human grasp locations by combining such constraints, we selected grasps on objects that disentangled the relative contributions of object mass, grasp size, and grasp axis during grasp planning and execution in a neuroimaging study. Our findings reveal a greater role of dorsal-stream visuomotor areas during grasp planning, and, surprisingly, increasing ventral stream engagement during execution. We propose that during planning, visuomotor representations initially encode grasp axis and size. Perceptual representations of object material properties become more relevant instead as the hand approaches the object and motor programs are refined with estimates of the grip forces required to successfully lift the object.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina K Klein
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35390 Giessen, Germany
| | - Guido Maiello
- School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1PS, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin Stubbs
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C2, Canada
| | - Daria Proklova
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C2, Canada
| | - Juan Chen
- Center for the Study of Applied Psychology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, and the School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Vivian C Paulun
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
| | - Jody C Culham
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C2, Canada
| | - Roland W Fleming
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35390 Giessen, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany, 35390
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11
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Rozzi S, Gravante A, Basile C, Cappellaro G, Gerbella M, Fogassi L. Ventrolateral prefrontal neurons of the monkey encode instructions in the 'pragmatic' format of the associated behavioral outcomes. Prog Neurobiol 2023; 229:102499. [PMID: 37429374 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2023.102499] [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: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex plays an important role in coding rules and producing context-appropriate behaviors. These processes necessarily require the generation of goals based on current context. Indeed, instructing stimuli are prospectively encoded in prefrontal cortex in relation to behavioral demands, but the coding format of this neural representation is, to date, largely unknown. In order to study how instructions and behaviors are encoded in prefrontal cortex, we recorded the activity of monkeys (Macaca mulatta) ventrolateral prefrontal neurons in a task requiring to perform (Action condition) or withhold (Inaction condition) grasping actions on real objects. Our data show that there are neurons responding in different task phases, and that the neuronal population discharge is stronger in the Inaction condition when the instructing cue is presented, and in the Action condition in the subsequent phases, from object presentation to action execution. Decoding analyses performed on neuronal populations showed that the neural activity recorded during the initial phases of the task shares the same type of format with that recorded during the final phases. We propose that this format has a pragmatic nature, that is instructions and goals are encoded by prefrontal neurons as predictions of the behavioral outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Rozzi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Volturno 39, 43125 Parma, Italy.
| | - Alfonso Gravante
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Volturno 39, 43125 Parma, Italy
| | - Claudio Basile
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Volturno 39, 43125 Parma, Italy
| | - Giorgio Cappellaro
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Volturno 39, 43125 Parma, Italy
| | - Marzio Gerbella
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Volturno 39, 43125 Parma, Italy
| | - Leonardo Fogassi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Volturno 39, 43125 Parma, Italy
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12
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Hernandez-Pavon JC, San Agustín A, Wang MC, Veniero D, Pons JL. Can we manipulate brain connectivity? A systematic review of cortico-cortical paired associative stimulation effects. Clin Neurophysiol 2023; 154:169-193. [PMID: 37634335 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2023.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Cortico-cortical paired associative stimulation (ccPAS) is a form of dual-site transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) entailing a series of single-TMS pulses paired at specific interstimulus intervals (ISI) delivered to distant cortical areas. The goal of this article is to systematically review its efficacy in inducing plasticity in humans focusing on stimulation parameters and hypotheses of underlying neurophysiology. METHODS A systematic review of the literature from 2009-2023 was undertaken to identify all articles utilizing ccPAS to study brain plasticity and connectivity. Six electronic databases were searched and included. RESULTS 32 studies were identified. The studies targeted connections within the same hemisphere or between hemispheres. 28 ccPAS studies were in healthy participants, 1 study in schizophrenia, and 1 in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. 2 additional studies used cortico-cortical repetitive paired associative stimulation (cc-rPAS) in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) patients. Outcome measures include electromyography (EMG), behavioral measures, electroencephalography (EEG), and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). ccPAS seems to be able to modulate brain connectivity depending on the ISI. CONCLUSIONS ccPAS can be used to modulate corticospinal excitability, brain activity, and behavior. Although the stimulation parameters used across studies reviewed in this paper are varied, ccPAS is a promising approach for basic research and potential clinical applications. SIGNIFICANCE Recent advances in neuroscience have caused a shift of interest from the study of single areas to a more complex approach focusing on networks of areas that orchestrate brain activity. Consequently, the TMS community is also witnessing a change, with a growing interest in targeting multiple brain areas rather than a single locus, as evidenced by an increasing number of papers using ccPAS. In light of this new enthusiasm for brain connectivity, this review summarizes existing literature and stimulation parameters that have proven effective in changing electrophysiological, behavioral, or neuroimaging-derived measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julio C Hernandez-Pavon
- Legs + Walking Lab, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (Formerly, The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago), Chicago, IL, USA; Center for Brain Stimulation, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA.
| | - Arantzazu San Agustín
- Legs + Walking Lab, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (Formerly, The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago), Chicago, IL, USA; Center for Brain Stimulation, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Neural Rehabilitation Group, Cajal Institute, CSIC, Madrid, Spain; PhD Program in Neuroscience, Autonoma de Madrid University-Cajal Institute, Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Max C Wang
- Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Science, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Jose L Pons
- Legs + Walking Lab, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (Formerly, The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago), Chicago, IL, USA; Center for Brain Stimulation, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, McCormick School of Engineering, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
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13
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Wang HL, Kuo YT, Lo YC, Kuo CH, Chen BW, Wang CF, Wu ZY, Lee CE, Yang SH, Lin SH, Chen PC, Chen YY. Enhancing Prediction of Forelimb Movement Trajectory through a Calibrating-Feedback Paradigm Incorporating RAT Primary Motor and Agranular Cortical Ensemble Activity in the Goal-Directed Reaching Task. Int J Neural Syst 2023; 33:2350051. [PMID: 37632142 DOI: 10.1142/s012906572350051x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Complete reaching movements involve target sensing, motor planning, and arm movement execution, and this process requires the integration and communication of various brain regions. Previously, reaching movements have been decoded successfully from the motor cortex (M1) and applied to prosthetic control. However, most studies attempted to decode neural activities from a single brain region, resulting in reduced decoding accuracy during visually guided reaching motions. To enhance the decoding accuracy of visually guided forelimb reaching movements, we propose a parallel computing neural network using both M1 and medial agranular cortex (AGm) neural activities of rats to predict forelimb-reaching movements. The proposed network decodes M1 neural activities into the primary components of the forelimb movement and decodes AGm neural activities into internal feedforward information to calibrate the forelimb movement in a goal-reaching movement. We demonstrate that using AGm neural activity to calibrate M1 predicted forelimb movement can improve decoding performance significantly compared to neural decoders without calibration. We also show that the M1 and AGm neural activities contribute to controlling forelimb movement during goal-reaching movements, and we report an increase in the power of the local field potential (LFP) in beta and gamma bands over AGm in response to a change in the target distance, which may involve sensorimotor transformation and communication between the visual cortex and AGm when preparing for an upcoming reaching movement. The proposed parallel computing neural network with the internal feedback model improves prediction accuracy for goal-reaching movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han-Lin Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, No. 155, Sec. 2 Linong St., Taipei 112304, Taiwan
| | - Yun-Ting Kuo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, No. 155, Sec. 2 Linong St., Taipei 112304, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chun Lo
- The Ph.D. Program in Medical Neuroscience, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, 12F., Education & Research Building, Shuang-Ho Campus, No. 301, Yuantong Rd., New Taipei City 235235, Taiwan
| | - Chao-Hung Kuo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Neurological Institute Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No. 201, Sec. 2 Shipai Rd., Taipei 11217, Taiwan
| | - Bo-Wei Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, No. 155, Sec. 2 Linong St., Taipei 112304, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Fu Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, No. 155, Sec. 2 Linong St., Taipei 112304, Taiwan
- Biomedical Engineering Research and Development Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, No. 155, Sec. 2 Linong St., Taipei 112304, Taiwan
| | - Zu-Yu Wu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, No. 155, Sec. 2 Linong St., Taipei 112304, Taiwan
| | - Chi-En Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, No. 155, Sec. 2 Linong St., Taipei 112304, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Hung Yang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1, University Rd., Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | - Sheng-Huang Lin
- Department of Neurology, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, No. 707, Sec. 3 Zhongyang Rd., Hualien 97002, Taiwan
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, No. 701, Sec. 3, Zhongyang Rd., Hualien 97004, Taiwan
| | - Po-Chuan Chen
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - You-Yin Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, No. 155, Sec. 2 Linong St., Taipei 112304, Taiwan
- The Ph.D. Program in Medical Neuroscience, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, 12F., Education & Research Building, Shuang-Ho Campus, No. 301, Yuantong Rd., New Taipei City 235235, Taiwan
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14
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de Lima-Pardini AC, Mikhail Y, Dominguez-Vargas AU, Dancause N, Scott SH. Transcranial magnetic stimulation in non-human primates: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105273. [PMID: 37315659 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is widely employed as a tool to investigate and treat brain diseases. However, little is known about the direct effects of TMS on the brain. Non-human primates (NHPs) are a valuable translational model to investigate how TMS affects brain circuits given their neurophysiological similarity with humans and their capacity to perform complex tasks that approach human behavior. This systematic review aimed to identify studies using TMS in NHPs as well as to assess their methodological quality through a modified reference checklist. The results show high heterogeneity and superficiality in the studies regarding the report of the TMS parameters, which have not improved over the years. This checklist can be used for future TMS studies with NHPs to ensure transparency and critical appraisal. The use of the checklist would improve methodological soundness and interpretation of the studies, facilitating the translation of the findings to humans. The review also discusses how advancements in the field can elucidate the effects of TMS in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea C de Lima-Pardini
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada; Canadian Platform for Trials in Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (CanStim), Montréal, QC, Canada.
| | - Youstina Mikhail
- Canadian Platform for Trials in Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (CanStim), Montréal, QC, Canada; Département de Neurosciences, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Adan-Ulises Dominguez-Vargas
- Canadian Platform for Trials in Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (CanStim), Montréal, QC, Canada; Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche sur le cerveau et l'apprentissage (CIRCA), Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Département de Neurosciences, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Numa Dancause
- Canadian Platform for Trials in Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (CanStim), Montréal, QC, Canada; Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche sur le cerveau et l'apprentissage (CIRCA), Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Département de Neurosciences, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Stephen H Scott
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada; Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada; Department of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada; Canadian Platform for Trials in Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (CanStim), Montréal, QC, Canada
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15
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Casarotto A, Dolfini E, Fadiga L, Koch G, D'Ausilio A. Cortico-cortical paired associative stimulation conditioning superficial ventral premotor cortex-primary motor cortex connectivity influences motor cortical activity during precision grip. J Physiol 2023; 601:3945-3960. [PMID: 37526070 DOI: 10.1113/jp284500] [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: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The ventral premotor cortex (PMv) and primary motor cortex (M1) represent critical nodes of a parietofrontal network involved in grasping actions, such as power and precision grip. Here, we investigated how the functional PMv-M1 connectivity drives the dissociation between these two actions. We applied a PMv-M1 cortico-cortical paired associative stimulation (cc-PAS) protocol, stimulating M1 in both postero-anterior (PA) and antero-posterior (AP) directions, in order to induce long-term changes in the activity of different neuronal populations within M1. We evaluated the motor-evoked potential (MEP) amplitude, MEP latency and cortical silent period, in both PA and AP, during the isometric execution of precision and power grip, before and after the PMv-M1 cc-PAS. The repeated activation of the PMv-M1 cortico-cortical network with PA orientation over M1 did not change MEP amplitude or cortical silent period duration during both actions. In contrast, the PMv-M1 cc-PAS stimulation of M1 with an AP direction led to a specific modulation of precision grip motor drive. In particular, MEPs tested with AP stimulation showed a selective increase of corticospinal excitability during precision grip. These findings suggest that the more superficial M1 neuronal populations recruited by the PMv input are involved preferentially in the execution of precision grip actions. KEY POINTS: Ventral premotor cortex (PMv)-primary motor cortex (M1) cortico-cortical paired associative stimulation (cc-PAS) with different coil orientation targets dissociable neural populations. PMv-M1 cc-PAS with M1 antero-posterior coil orientation specifically modulates corticospinal excitability during precision grip. Superficial M1 populations are involved preferentially in the execution of precision grip. A plasticity induction protocol targeting the specific PMv-M1 subpopulation might have important translational value for the rehabilitation of hand function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Casarotto
- IIT@UniFe Center for Translational Neurophysiology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Ferrara, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Physiology, Università di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Elisa Dolfini
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Physiology, Università di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Luciano Fadiga
- IIT@UniFe Center for Translational Neurophysiology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Ferrara, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Physiology, Università di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Giacomo Koch
- IIT@UniFe Center for Translational Neurophysiology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Ferrara, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Physiology, Università di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- Experimental Neuropsychophysiology Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro D'Ausilio
- IIT@UniFe Center for Translational Neurophysiology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Ferrara, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Physiology, Università di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
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16
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Rouzitalab A, Boulay CB, Park J, Sachs AJ. Intracortical brain-computer interfaces in primates: a review and outlook. Biomed Eng Lett 2023; 13:375-390. [PMID: 37519868 PMCID: PMC10382423 DOI: 10.1007/s13534-023-00286-8] [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: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) translate brain signals into artificial output to restore or replace natural central nervous system (CNS) functions. Multiple processes, including sensorimotor integration, decision-making, motor planning, execution, and updating, are involved in any movement. For example, a BCI may be better able to restore naturalistic motor behaviors if it uses signals from multiple brain areas and decodes natural behaviors' cognitive and motor aspects. This review provides an overview of the preliminary information necessary to plan a BCI project focusing on intracortical implants in primates. Since the brain structure and areas of non-human primates (NHP) are similar to humans, exploring the result of NHP studies will eventually benefit human BCI studies. The different types of BCI systems based on the target cortical area, types of signals, and decoding methods will be discussed. In addition, various successful state-of-the-art cases will be reviewed in more detail, focusing on the general algorithm followed in the real-time system. Finally, an outlook for improving the current BCI research studies will be debated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Rouzitalab
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 Canada
- The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON Canada
| | | | - Jeongwon Park
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 Canada
- Department of Electrical and Biomedical Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557 USA
| | - Adam J. Sachs
- The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON Canada
- The University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, Ottawa, ON Canada
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON Canada
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17
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Xu Y, Vignali L, Sigismondi F, Crepaldi D, Bottini R, Collignon O. Similar object shape representation encoded in the inferolateral occipitotemporal cortex of sighted and early blind people. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3001930. [PMID: 37490508 PMCID: PMC10368275 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
We can sense an object's shape by vision or touch. Previous studies suggested that the inferolateral occipitotemporal cortex (ILOTC) implements supramodal shape representations as it responds more to seeing or touching objects than shapeless textures. However, such activation in the anterior portion of the ventral visual pathway could be due to the conceptual representation of an object or visual imagery triggered by touching an object. We addressed these possibilities by directly comparing shape and conceptual representations of objects in early blind (who lack visual experience/imagery) and sighted participants. We found that bilateral ILOTC in both groups showed stronger activation during a shape verification task than during a conceptual verification task made on the names of the same manmade objects. Moreover, the distributed activity in the ILOTC encoded shape similarity but not conceptual association among objects. Besides the ILOTC, we also found shape representation in both groups' bilateral ventral premotor cortices and intraparietal sulcus (IPS), a frontoparietal circuit relating to object grasping and haptic processing. In contrast, the conceptual verification task activated both groups' left perisylvian brain network relating to language processing and, interestingly, the cuneus in early blind participants only. The ILOTC had stronger functional connectivity to the frontoparietal circuit than to the left perisylvian network, forming a modular structure specialized in shape representation. Our results conclusively support that the ILOTC selectively implements shape representation independently of visual experience, and this unique functionality likely comes from its privileged connection to the frontoparietal haptic circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangwen Xu
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Vignali
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
- International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | | | - Davide Crepaldi
- International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Roberto Bottini
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Olivier Collignon
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute (IPSY) and Institute of NeuroScience (IoNS), University of Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- School of Health Sciences, HES-SO Valais-Wallis, The Sense Innovation and Research Center, Lausanne and Sion, Switzerland
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18
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Van Malderen S, Hehl M, Verstraelen S, Swinnen SP, Cuypers K. Dual-site TMS as a tool to probe effective interactions within the motor network: a review. Rev Neurosci 2023; 34:129-221. [PMID: 36065080 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2022-0020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Dual-site transcranial magnetic stimulation (ds-TMS) is well suited to investigate the causal effect of distant brain regions on the primary motor cortex, both at rest and during motor performance and learning. However, given the broad set of stimulation parameters, clarity about which parameters are most effective for identifying particular interactions is lacking. Here, evidence describing inter- and intra-hemispheric interactions during rest and in the context of motor tasks is reviewed. Our aims are threefold: (1) provide a detailed overview of ds-TMS literature regarding inter- and intra-hemispheric connectivity; (2) describe the applicability and contributions of these interactions to motor control, and; (3) discuss the practical implications and future directions. Of the 3659 studies screened, 109 were included and discussed. Overall, there is remarkable variability in the experimental context for assessing ds-TMS interactions, as well as in the use and reporting of stimulation parameters, hindering a quantitative comparison of results across studies. Further studies examining ds-TMS interactions in a systematic manner, and in which all critical parameters are carefully reported, are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanti Van Malderen
- Department of Movement Sciences, Movement Control & Neuroplasticity Research Group, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Heverlee 3001, Belgium.,Neuroplasticity and Movement Control Research Group, Rehabilitation Research Institute (REVAL), Hasselt University, Diepenbeek 3590, Belgium
| | - Melina Hehl
- Department of Movement Sciences, Movement Control & Neuroplasticity Research Group, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Heverlee 3001, Belgium.,Neuroplasticity and Movement Control Research Group, Rehabilitation Research Institute (REVAL), Hasselt University, Diepenbeek 3590, Belgium
| | - Stefanie Verstraelen
- Neuroplasticity and Movement Control Research Group, Rehabilitation Research Institute (REVAL), Hasselt University, Diepenbeek 3590, Belgium
| | - Stephan P Swinnen
- Department of Movement Sciences, Movement Control & Neuroplasticity Research Group, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Heverlee 3001, Belgium.,KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Koen Cuypers
- Department of Movement Sciences, Movement Control & Neuroplasticity Research Group, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Heverlee 3001, Belgium.,Neuroplasticity and Movement Control Research Group, Rehabilitation Research Institute (REVAL), Hasselt University, Diepenbeek 3590, Belgium
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19
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Casarotto A, Dolfini E, Cardellicchio P, Fadiga L, D'Ausilio A, Koch G. Mechanisms of Hebbian-like plasticity in the ventral premotor - primary motor network. J Physiol 2023; 601:211-226. [PMID: 36327142 PMCID: PMC10100355 DOI: 10.1113/jp283560] [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: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The functional connection between ventral premotor cortex (PMv) and primary motor cortex (M1) is critical for the organization of goal-directed actions. Repeated activation of this connection by means of cortico-cortical paired associative stimulation (cc-PAS), a transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) protocol, may induce Hebbian-like plasticity. However, the physiological modifications produced by Hebbian-like plasticity in the PMv-M1 network are poorly understood. To fill this gap, we investigated the effects of cc-PAS on PMv-M1 circuits. We hypothesized that specific interactions would occur with I2 -wave interneurons as measured by the short intracortical facilitation protocol (SICF). We used different paired-pulse TMS protocols to examine the effects of PMv-M1 cc-PAS on SICF, on GABAergic circuits as measured by short (SICI) and long (LICI) intracortical inhibition protocols, and varied the current direction in M1 to target different M1 neuronal populations. Finally, we examined the effects of cc-PAS on PMv-M1 connectivity using a dual coil approach. We found that PMv-M1 cc-PAS induces both a long-term potentiation (LTP)- or long-term depression (LTD)-like after-effect in M1 neuronal activity that is strongly associated with a bidirectional-specific change in I2 -wave activity (SICF = 2.5 ms ISI). Moreover, cc-PAS induces a specific modulation of the LICI circuit and separately modulates PMv-M1 connectivity. We suggest that plasticity within the PMv-M1 circuit is mediated by a selective mechanism exerted by PMv on M1 by targeting I2 -wave interneurons. These results provide new mechanistic insights into how PMv modulates M1 activity that are relevant for the design of brain stimulation protocols in health and disease. KEY POINTS: The I2 -wave is specifically modulated by the induction of ventral premotor cortex - primary motor cortex (PMv-M1) plasticity. After PMv-M1 cortico-cortical paired associative stimulation (cc-PAS), corticospinal excitability correlates negatively with I2 -wave amplitude. Different cc-PAS coil orientations can lead to a long-term potentiation- or long-term depression-like after-effect in M1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Casarotto
- IIT@UniFe Center for Translational Neurophysiology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Ferrara, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Physiology, Università di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Elisa Dolfini
- IIT@UniFe Center for Translational Neurophysiology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Ferrara, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Physiology, Università di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Pasquale Cardellicchio
- IIT@UniFe Center for Translational Neurophysiology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Luciano Fadiga
- IIT@UniFe Center for Translational Neurophysiology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Ferrara, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Physiology, Università di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Alessandro D'Ausilio
- IIT@UniFe Center for Translational Neurophysiology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Ferrara, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Physiology, Università di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Giacomo Koch
- IIT@UniFe Center for Translational Neurophysiology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Ferrara, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Physiology, Università di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.,Experimental Neuropsychophysiology Lab, Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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20
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Abstract
The frontal lobe is crucial and contributes to controlling truncal motion, postural responses, and maintaining equilibrium and locomotion. The rich repertoire of frontal gait disorders gives some indication of this complexity. For human walking, it is necessary to simultaneously achieve at least two tasks, such as maintaining a bipedal upright posture and locomotion. Particularly, postural control plays an extremely significant role in enabling the subject to maintain stable gait behaviors to adapt to the environment. To achieve these requirements, the frontal cortex (1) uses cognitive information from the parietal, temporal, and occipital cortices, (2) creates plans and programs of gait behaviors, and (3) acts on the brainstem and spinal cord, where the core posture-gait mechanisms exist. Moreover, the frontal cortex enables one to achieve a variety of gait patterns in response to environmental changes by switching gait patterns from automatic routine to intentionally controlled and learning the new paradigms of gait strategy via networks with the basal ganglia, cerebellum, and limbic structures. This chapter discusses the role of each area of the frontal cortex in behavioral control and attempts to explain how frontal lobe controls walking with special reference to postural control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaoru Takakusaki
- Department of Physiology, Division of Neuroscience, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan.
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21
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Caprara I, Janssen P. Effect of viewing distance on object responses in macaque areas 45B, F5a and F5p. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16527. [PMID: 36192562 PMCID: PMC9530235 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18482-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
To perform tasks like grasping, the brain has to process visual object information so that the grip aperture can be adjusted before touching the object. Previous studies have demonstrated that the posterior subsector of the Anterior Intraparietal area is connected to area 45B, and its anterior counterpart to F5a. However, the role of area 45B and F5a in visually-guided grasping is poorly understood. Here, we investigated the role of area 45B, F5a and F5p in object processing during visually-guided grasping in two monkeys. We tested whether the presentation of an object in near peripersonal space activated F5p neurons more than objects with the same retinal size presented beyond reachable distance and conversely, whether neurons in 45B and F5a—which may encode a purely visual object representation—were less affected by viewing distance when equalizing retinal size. Contrary to our expectations, we found that most neurons in area 45B were object- and viewing distance-selective, and preferred mostly Near presentations. Area F5a showed much weaker object selectivity compared to 45B, with a similar preference for objects presented at the Near position. Finally, F5p neurons were less object selective and frequently Far-preferring. In sum, area 45B—but not F5p– prefers objects presented in peripersonal space.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Caprara
- Laboratorium Voor Neuro-en Psychofysiologie, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Neurosurgery, Department of Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - P Janssen
- Laboratorium Voor Neuro-en Psychofysiologie, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. .,The Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium.
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22
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Hand constraint reduces brain activity and affects the speed of verbal responses on semantic tasks. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13545. [PMID: 35941140 PMCID: PMC9360433 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17702-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
According to the theory of embodied cognition, semantic processing is closely coupled with body movements. For example, constraining hand movements inhibits memory for objects that can be manipulated with the hands. However, it has not been confirmed whether body constraint reduces brain activity related to semantics. We measured the effect of hand constraint on semantic processing in the parietal lobe using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. A pair of words representing the names of hand-manipulable (e.g., cup or pencil) or nonmanipulable (e.g., windmill or fountain) objects were presented, and participants were asked to identify which object was larger. The reaction time (RT) in the judgment task and the activation of the left intraparietal sulcus (LIPS) and left inferior parietal lobule (LIPL), including the supramarginal gyrus and angular gyrus, were analyzed. We found that constraint of hand movement suppressed brain activity in the LIPS toward hand-manipulable objects and affected RT in the size judgment task. These results indicate that body constraint reduces the activity of brain regions involved in semantics. Hand constraint might inhibit motor simulation, which, in turn, would inhibit body-related semantic processing.
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23
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Tinelli F, Gori M, Beani E, Sgandurra G, Martolini C, Maselli M, Petri S, Purpura G. Feasibility of audio-motor training with the multisensory device ABBI: Implementation in a child with hemiplegia and hemianopia. Neuropsychologia 2022; 174:108319. [PMID: 35820452 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108319] [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: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Spatial representation is crucial when it comes to everyday interaction with the environment. Different factors influence spatial perception, such as body movements and vision. Accordingly, training strategies that exploit the plasticity of the human brain should be adopted early. In the current study we developed and tested a new training protocol based on the reinforcement of audio-motor associations. It supports spatial development in one hemiplegic child with an important visual field defect (hemianopia) in the same side of the hemiplegic limb. We focused on investigating whether a better representation of the space using the sound can also improve the involvement of the hemiplegic upper limb in daily life activity. The experimental training consists of intensive but entertaining rehabilitation for two weeks, during which a child performed ad-hoc developed audio-motor-spatial exercises with the Audio Bracelet for Blind Interaction (ABBI) for 2 h/day. We administered a battery of tests before and after the training that indicated that the child significantly improved in both the spatial aspects and the involvement of the hemiplegic limb in bimanual tasks. During the assessment, ActiGraph GT3X+ was used to measure asymmetry in the use of the two upper limbs with a standardized clinical tool, the Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA), pre and post-training. Additionally, the study measured and recorded spontaneous daily life activity for at least 2 h/day. These results confirm that one can enhance perceptual development in motor and visual disorders using naturally associated auditory feedback to body movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Tinelli
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Laboratory of Vision, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Monica Gori
- U-VIP: Unit for Visually Impaired People, Center for Human Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Elena Beani
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Laboratory of Vision, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Sgandurra
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Laboratory of Vision, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy; Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Chiara Martolini
- U-VIP: Unit for Visually Impaired People, Center for Human Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Martina Maselli
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy; Department of Excellence in Robotics & AI, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy
| | - Stefania Petri
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Laboratory of Vision, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giulia Purpura
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Laboratory of Vision, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy; School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, Monza, Italy
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24
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Wandelt SK, Kellis S, Bjånes DA, Pejsa K, Lee B, Liu C, Andersen RA. Decoding grasp and speech signals from the cortical grasp circuit in a tetraplegic human. Neuron 2022; 110:1777-1787.e3. [PMID: 35364014 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The cortical grasp network encodes planning and execution of grasps and processes spoken and written aspects of language. High-level cortical areas within this network are attractive implant sites for brain-machine interfaces (BMIs). While a tetraplegic patient performed grasp motor imagery and vocalized speech, neural activity was recorded from the supramarginal gyrus (SMG), ventral premotor cortex (PMv), and somatosensory cortex (S1). In SMG and PMv, five imagined grasps were well represented by firing rates of neuronal populations during visual cue presentation. During motor imagery, these grasps were significantly decodable from all brain areas. During speech production, SMG encoded both spoken grasp types and the names of five colors. Whereas PMv neurons significantly modulated their activity during grasping, SMG's neural population broadly encoded features of both motor imagery and speech. Together, these results indicate that brain signals from high-level areas of the human cortex could be used for grasping and speech BMI applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K Wandelt
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; T&C Chen Brain-Machine Interface Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
| | - Spencer Kellis
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; T&C Chen Brain-Machine Interface Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; USC Neurorestoration Center, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - David A Bjånes
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; T&C Chen Brain-Machine Interface Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Kelsie Pejsa
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; T&C Chen Brain-Machine Interface Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Brian Lee
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; USC Neurorestoration Center, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Charles Liu
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; USC Neurorestoration Center, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Downey, CA 90242, USA
| | - Richard A Andersen
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; T&C Chen Brain-Machine Interface Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
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25
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Daprati E, Balestrucci P, Nico D. Do graspable objects always leave a motor signature? A study on memory traces. Exp Brain Res 2022; 240:3193-3206. [PMID: 36271939 PMCID: PMC9678995 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-022-06487-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Several studies have reported the existence of reciprocal interactions between the type of motor activity physically performed on objects and the conceptual knowledge that is retained of them. Whether covert motor activity plays a similar effect is less clear. Certainly, objects are strong triggers for actions, and motor components can make the associated concepts more memorable. However, addition of an action-related memory trace may not always be automatic and could rather depend on 'how' objects are encountered. To test this hypothesis, we compared memory for objects that passive observers experienced as verbal labels (the word describing them), visual images (color photographs) and actions (pantomimes of object use). We predicted that the more direct the involvement of action-related representations the more effective would be the addition of a motor code to the experience and the more accurate would be the recall. Results showed that memory for objects presented as words i.e., a format that might only indirectly prime the sensorimotor system, was generally less accurate compared to memory for objects presented as photographs or pantomimes, which are more likely to directly elicit motor simulation processes. In addition, free recall of objects experienced as pantomimes was more accurate when these items afforded actions performed towards one's body than actions directed away from the body. We propose that covert motor activity can contribute to objects' memory, but the beneficial addition of a motor code to the experience is not necessarily automatic. An advantage is more likely to emerge when the observer is induced to take a first-person stance during the encoding phase, as may happen for objects affording actions directed towards the body, which obviously carry more relevance for the actor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Daprati
- grid.6530.00000 0001 2300 0941Dipartimento di Medicina dei Sistemi, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Priscilla Balestrucci
- grid.6582.90000 0004 1936 9748Faculty for Computer Science, Engineering, and Psychology, Applied Cognitive Psychology, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Daniele Nico
- grid.7841.aDipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Roma la Sapienza, 00185 Rome, Italy
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26
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Decoding grip type and action goal during the observation of reaching-grasping actions: A multivariate fMRI study. Neuroimage 2021; 243:118511. [PMID: 34450263 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
During execution and observation of reaching-grasping actions, the brain must encode, at the same time, the final action goal and the type of grip necessary to achieve it. Recently, it has been proposed that the Mirror Neuron System (MNS) is involved not only in coding the final goal of the observed action, but also the type of grip used to grasp the object. However, the specific contribution of the different areas of the MNS, at both cortical and subcortical level, in disentangling action goal and grip type is still unclear. Here, twenty human volunteers participated in an fMRI study in which they performed two tasks: (a) observation of four different types of actions, consisting in reaching-to-grasp a box handle with two possible grips (precision, hook) and two possible goals (open, close); (b) action execution, in which participants performed grasping actions similar to those presented during the observation task. A conjunction analysis revealed the presence of shared activated voxels for both action observation and execution within several cortical areas including dorsal and ventral premotor cortex, inferior and superior parietal cortex, intraparietal sulcus, primary somatosensory cortex, and cerebellar lobules VI and VIII. ROI analyses showed a main effect for grip type in several premotor and parietal areas and cerebellar lobule VI, with higher BOLD activation during observation of precision vs hook actions. A grip x goal interaction was also present in the left inferior parietal cortex, with higher BOLD activity during precision-to-close actions. A multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) revealed a significant accuracy for the grip model in all ROIs, while for the action goal model, significant accuracy was observed only for left inferior parietal cortex ROI. These findings indicate that a large network involving cortical and cerebellar areas is involved in the processing of type of grip, while final action goal appears to be mainly processed within the inferior parietal region, suggesting a differential contribution of the areas activated in this study.
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27
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Lega C, Chelazzi L, Cattaneo L. Two Distinct Systems Represent Contralateral and Ipsilateral Sensorimotor Processes in the Human Premotor Cortex: A Dense TMS Mapping Study. Cereb Cortex 2021; 30:2250-2266. [PMID: 31828296 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Revised: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal brains contain behaviorally committed representations of the surrounding world, which integrate sensory and motor information. In primates, sensorimotor mechanisms reside in part in the premotor cortex (PM), where sensorimotor neurons are topographically clustered according to functional specialization. Detailed functional cartography of the human PM is still under investigation. We explored the topographic distribution of spatially dependent sensorimotor functions in healthy volunteers performing left or right, hand or foot, responses to visual cues presented in the left or right hemispace, thus combining independently stimulus side, effector side, and effector type. Event-related transcranial magnetic stimulation was applied to single spots of a dense grid of 10 points on the participants' left hemiscalp, covering the whole PM. Results showed: (1) spatially segregated hand and foot representations, (2) focal representations of contralateral cues and movements in the dorsal PM, and (3) distributed representations of ipsilateral cues and movements in the ventral and dorso-medial PM. The present novel causal information indicates that (1) the human PM is somatotopically organized and (2) the left PM contains sensory-motor representations of both hemispaces and of both hemibodies, but the hemispace and hemibody contralateral to the PM are mapped on a distinct, nonoverlapping cortical region compared to the ipsilateral ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlotta Lega
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Leonardo Chelazzi
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.,Italian Institute of Neuroscience, Section of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Luigi Cattaneo
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.,Italian Institute of Neuroscience, Section of Verona, Verona, Italy
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28
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Mylavarapu R, Prins NW, Pohlmeyer EA, Shoup AM, Debnath S, Geng S, Sanchez JC, Schwartz O, Prasad A. Chronic recordings from the marmoset motor cortex reveals modulation of neural firing and local field potentials overlap with macaques. J Neural Eng 2021; 18. [PMID: 34225263 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ac115c] [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: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Objective.The common marmoset has been increasingly used in neural interfacing studies due to its smaller size, easier handling, and faster breeding compared to Old World non-human primate (NHP) species. While assessment of cortical anatomy in marmosets has shown strikingly similar layout to macaques, comprehensive assessment of electrophysiological properties underlying forelimb reaching movements in this bridge species does not exist. The objective of this study is to characterize electrophysiological properties of signals recorded from the marmoset primary motor cortex (M1) during a reach task and compare with larger NHP models such that this smaller NHP model can be used in behavioral neural interfacing studies.Approach and main results.Neuronal firing rates and local field potentials (LFPs) were chronically recorded from M1 in three adult, male marmosets. Firing rates, mu + beta and high gamma frequency bands of LFPs were evaluated for modulation with respect to movement. Firing rate and regularity of neurons of the marmoset M1 were similar to that reported in macaques with a subset of neurons showing selectivity to movement direction. Movement phases (rest vs move) was classified from both neural spiking and LFPs. Microelectrode arrays provide the ability to sample small regions of the motor cortex to drive brain-machine interfaces (BMIs). The results demonstrate that marmosets are a robust bridge species for behavioral neuroscience studies with motor cortical electrophysiological signals recorded from microelectrode arrays that are similar to Old World NHPs.Significance. As marmosets represent an interesting step between rodent and macaque models, successful demonstration that neuron modulation in marmoset motor cortex is analogous to reports in macaques illustrates the utility of marmosets as a viable species for BMI studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramanamurthy Mylavarapu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL United States of America
| | - Noeline W Prins
- Department of Electrical and Information Engineering, University of Ruhuna, Galle, Sri Lanka
| | - Eric A Pohlmeyer
- Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, MD, United States of America
| | - Alden M Shoup
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL United States of America
| | - Shubham Debnath
- Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, United States of America
| | - Shijia Geng
- Institute for Data Science and Computing, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States of America
| | | | - Odelia Schwartz
- Department of Computer Science, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States of America
| | - Abhishek Prasad
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL United States of America.,The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, University of Miami, Miami, FL United States of America
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29
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Costantini M, Quarona D, Sinigaglia C. Colors and Handles: How Action Primes Perception. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:628001. [PMID: 34045947 PMCID: PMC8144292 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.628001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
How deeply does action influence perception? Does action performance affect the perception of object features directly related to action only? Or does it concern also object features such as colors, which are not held to directly afford action? The present study aimed at answering these questions. We asked participants to repeatedly grasp a handled mug hidden from their view before judging whether a visually presented mug was blue rather than cyan. The motor training impacted on their perceptual judgments, by speeding participants' responses, when the handle of the presented mug was spatially aligned with the trained hand. The priming effect did not occur when participants were trained to merely touch the mug with their hand closed in a fist. This indicates that action performance may shape the perceptual judgment on object features, even when these features are colors and do not afford any action. How we act on surrounding objects is therefore not without consequence for how we experience them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcello Costantini
- The Embodied Adaptive Mind Laboratory (TEAM Lab), Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, University G. d'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy.,Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies-ITAB, University G. d'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy
| | - Davide Quarona
- Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Humanities, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Cognition in Action Unit, PhiLab, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Corrado Sinigaglia
- Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Humanities, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Cognition in Action Unit, PhiLab, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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30
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Li Z. Unique Neural Activity Patterns Among Lower Order Cortices and Shared Patterns Among Higher Order Cortices During Processing of Similar Shapes With Different Stimulus Types. Iperception 2021; 12:20416695211018222. [PMID: 34104383 PMCID: PMC8161881 DOI: 10.1177/20416695211018222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated the neural mechanism of the processing of three-dimensional (3D) shapes defined by disparity and perspective. We measured blood oxygenation level-dependent signals as participants viewed and classified 3D images of convex-concave shapes. According to the cue (disparity or perspective) and element type (random dots or black and white dotted lines), three types of stimuli were used: random dot stereogram, black and white dotted lines with perspective, and black and white dotted lines with binocular disparity. The blood oxygenation level-dependent images were then classified by multivoxel pattern analysis. To identify areas selective to shape, we assessed convex-concave classification accuracy with classifiers trained and tested using signals evoked by the same stimulus type (same cue and element type). To identify cortical regions with similar neural activity patterns regardless of stimulus type, we assessed the convex-concave classification accuracy of transfer classification in which classifiers were trained and tested using different stimulus types (different cues or element types). Classification accuracy using the same stimulus type was high in the early visual areas and subregions of the intraparietal sulcus (IPS), whereas transfer classification accuracy was high in the dorsal subregions of the IPS. These results indicate that the early visual areas process the specific features of stimuli, whereas the IPS regions perform more generalized processing of 3D shapes, independent of a specific stimulus type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Li
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Graduate School of Engineering, Kochi University of Technology, Kochi, Japan
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31
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Strick PL, Dum RP, Rathelot JA. The Cortical Motor Areas and the Emergence of Motor Skills: A Neuroanatomical Perspective. Annu Rev Neurosci 2021; 44:425-447. [PMID: 33863253 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-070918-050216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
What changes in neural architecture account for the emergence and expansion of dexterity in primates? Dexterity, or skill in performing motor tasks, depends on the ability to generate highly fractionated patterns of muscle activity. It also involves the spatiotemporal coordination of activity in proximal and distal muscles across multiple joints. Many motor skills require the generation of complex movement sequences that are only acquired and refined through extensive practice. Improvements in dexterity have enabled primates to manufacture and use tools and humans to engage in skilled motor behaviors such as typing, dance, musical performance, and sports. Our analysis leads to the following synthesis: The neural substrate that endows primates with their enhanced motor capabilities is due, in part, to (a) major organizational changes in the primary motor cortex and (b) the proliferation of output pathways from other areas of the cerebral cortex, especially from the motor areas on the medial wall of the hemisphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter L Strick
- Department of Neurobiology, Systems Neuroscience Center, and Brain Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA;
| | - Richard P Dum
- Department of Neurobiology, Systems Neuroscience Center, and Brain Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA;
| | - Jean-Alban Rathelot
- Institut des Neurosciences de la Timone, CNRS, and Aix-Marseille Université, 13005 Marseille, France
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Yan X, Mills S, Knott A. A Neural Network Model for Learning 3D Object Representations Through Haptic Exploration. Front Neurorobot 2021; 15:639001. [PMID: 33841123 PMCID: PMC8027115 DOI: 10.3389/fnbot.2021.639001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans initially learn about objects through the sense of touch, in a process called “haptic exploration.” In this paper, we present a neural network model of this learning process. The model implements two key assumptions. The first is that haptic exploration can be thought of as a type of navigation, where the exploring hand plays the role of an autonomous agent, and the explored object is this agent's “local environment.” In this scheme, the agent's movements are registered in the coordinate system of the hand, through slip sensors on the palm and fingers. Our second assumption is that the learning process rests heavily on a simple model of sequence learning, where frequently-encountered sequences of hand movements are encoded declaratively, as “chunks.” The geometry of the object being explored places constraints on possible movement sequences: our proposal is that representations of possible, or frequently-attested sequences implicitly encode the shape of the explored object, along with its haptic affordances. We evaluate our model in two ways. We assess how much information about the hand's actual location is conveyed by its internal representations of movement sequences. We also assess how effective the model's representations are in a reinforcement learning task, where the agent must learn how to reach a given location on an explored object. Both metrics validate the basic claims of the model. We also show that the model learns better if objects are asymmetrical, or contain tactile landmarks, or if the navigating hand is articulated, which further constrains the movement sequences supported by the explored object.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaogang Yan
- Department of Computer Science, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Steven Mills
- Department of Computer Science, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Alistair Knott
- Department of Computer Science, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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Garofalo G, Marino BFM, Bellelli S, Riggio L. Adjectives Modulate Sensorimotor Activation Driven by Nouns. Cogn Sci 2021; 45:e12953. [PMID: 33755244 DOI: 10.1111/cogs.12953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We performed three experiments to investigate whether adjectives can modulate the sensorimotor activation elicited by nouns. In Experiment 1, nouns of graspable objects were used as stimuli. Participants had to decide if each noun referred to a natural or artifact, by performing either a precision or a power reach-to-grasp movement. Response grasp could be compatible or incompatible with the grasp typically used to manipulate the objects to which the nouns referred. The results revealed faster reaction times (RTs) in compatible than in incompatible trials. In Experiment 2, the nouns were combined with adjectives expressing either disadvantageous information about object graspability (e.g., sharp) or information about object color (e.g., reddish). No difference in RTs between compatible and incompatible conditions was found when disadvantageous adjectives were used. Conversely, a compatibility effect occurred when color adjectives were combined with nouns referring to natural objects. Finally, in Experiment 3 the nouns were combined with adjectives expressing tactile or shape proprieties of the objects (e.g., long or smooth). Results revealed faster RTs in compatible than in incompatible condition for both noun categories. Taken together, our findings suggest that adjectives can shape the sensorimotor activation elicited by nouns of graspable objects, highlighting that language simulation goes beyond the single-word level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gioacchino Garofalo
- Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Industries, University of Parma.,Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma
| | | | | | - Lucia Riggio
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma
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Bergström F, Wurm M, Valério D, Lingnau A, Almeida J. Decoding stimuli (tool-hand) and viewpoint invariant grasp-type information. Cortex 2021; 139:152-165. [PMID: 33873036 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2021.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
When we see a manipulable object (henceforth tool) or a hand performing a grasping movement, our brain is automatically tuned to how that tool can be grasped (i.e., its affordance) or what kind of grasp that hand is performing (e.g., a power or precision grasp). However, it remains unclear where visual information related to tools or hands are transformed into abstract grasp representations. We therefore investigated where different levels of abstractness in grasp information are processed: grasp information that is invariant to the kind of stimuli that elicits it (tool-hand invariance); and grasp information that is hand-specific but viewpoint-invariant (viewpoint invariance). We focused on brain areas activated when viewing both tools and hands, i.e., the posterior parietal cortices (PPC), ventral premotor cortices (PMv), and lateral occipitotemporal cortex/posterior middle temporal cortex (LOTC/pMTG). To test for invariant grasp representations, we presented participants with tool images and grasp videos (from first or third person perspective; 1pp or 3pp) inside an MRI scanner, and cross-decoded power versus precision grasps across (i) grasp perspectives (viewpoint invariance), (ii) tool images and grasp 1pp videos (tool-hand 1pp invariance), and (iii) tool images and grasp 3pp videos (tool-hand 3pp invariance). Tool-hand 1pp, but not tool-hand 3pp, invariant grasp information was found in left PPC, whereas viewpoint-invariant information was found bilaterally in PPC, left PMv, and left LOTC/pMTG. These findings suggest different levels of abstractness-where visual information is transformed into stimuli-invariant grasp representations/tool affordances in left PPC, and viewpoint invariant but hand-specific grasp representations in the hand network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredrik Bergström
- Proaction Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Moritz Wurm
- Center for Mind/ Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Daniela Valério
- Proaction Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Angelika Lingnau
- Center for Mind/ Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Rovereto, TN, Italy; Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Jorge Almeida
- Proaction Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra, Portugal
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Abstract
AbstractSafe human-robot interactions require robots to be able to learn how to behave appropriately in spaces populated by people and thus to cope with the challenges posed by our dynamic and unstructured environment, rather than being provided a rigid set of rules for operations. In humans, these capabilities are thought to be related to our ability to perceive our body in space, sensing the location of our limbs during movement, being aware of other objects and agents, and controlling our body parts to interact with them intentionally. Toward the next generation of robots with bio-inspired capacities, in this paper, we first review the developmental processes of underlying mechanisms of these abilities: The sensory representations of body schema, peripersonal space, and the active self in humans. Second, we provide a survey of robotics models of these sensory representations and robotics models of the self; and we compare these models with the human counterparts. Finally, we analyze what is missing from these robotics models and propose a theoretical computational framework, which aims to allow the emergence of the sense of self in artificial agents by developing sensory representations through self-exploration.
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Abstract
Previous studies have shown that after actively using a handheld tool for a period of time, participants show visual biases toward stimuli presented near the end of the tool. Research suggests this is driven by an incorporation of the tool into the observer's body schema, extending peripersonal space to surround the tool. This study aims to investigate whether the same visual biases might be seen near remotely operated tools. Participants used tools-a handheld rake (Experiment 1), a remote-controlled drone (Experiment 2), a remote-controlled excavator (Experiment 3), or a handheld excavator (Experiment 4)-to rake sand for several minutes, then performed a target-detection task in which they made speeded responses to targets appearing near and far from the tool. In Experiment 1, participants detected targets appearing near the rake significantly faster than targets appearing far from the rake, replicating previous findings. We failed to find strong evidence of improved target detection near remotely operated tools in Experiments 2 and 3, but found clear evidence of near-tool facilitation in Experiment 4 when participants physically picked up the excavator and used it as a handheld tool. These results suggest that observers may not incorporate remotely operated tools into the body schema in the same manner as handheld tools. We discuss potential mechanisms that may drive these differences in embodiment between handheld and remote-controlled tools.
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Intrinsic functional clustering of ventral premotor F5 in the macaque brain. Neuroimage 2020; 227:117647. [PMID: 33338618 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurophysiological and anatomical data suggest the existence of several functionally distinct regions in the lower arcuate sulcus and adjacent postarcuate convexity of the macaque monkey. Ventral premotor F5c lies on the postarcuate convexity and consists of a dorsal hand-related and ventral mouth-related field. The posterior bank of the lower arcuate contains two additional premotor F5 subfields at different anterior-posterior levels, F5a and F5p. Anterior to F5a, area 44 has been described as a dysgranular zone occupying the deepest part of the fundus of the inferior arcuate. Finally, area GrFO occupies the most rostral portion of the fundus and posterior bank of inferior arcuate and extends ventrally onto the frontal operculum. Recently, data-driven exploratory approaches using resting-state fMRI data have been suggested as a promising non-invasive method for examining the functional organization of the primate brain. Here, we examined to what extent partitioning schemes derived from data-driven clustering analysis of resting-state fMRI data correspond with the proposed organization of the fundus and posterior bank of the macaque arcuate sulcus, as suggested by invasive architectonical, connectional and functional investigations. Using a hierarchical clustering analysis, we could retrieve clusters corresponding to the dorsal and ventral portions of F5c on the postarcuate convexity, F5a and F5p at different antero-posterior locations on the posterior bank of the lower arcuate, area 44 in the fundus, as well as part of area GrFO in the most anterior portion of the fundus. Additionally, each of these clusters displayed distinct whole-brain functional connectivity, in line with previous anatomical tracer and seed-based functional connectivity investigations of F5/44 subdivisions. Overall, our data suggests that hierarchical clustering analysis of resting-state fMRI data can retrieve a fine-grained level of cortical organization that resembles detailed parcellation schemes derived from invasive functional and anatomical investigations.
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38
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The impact of graphic motor programs and detailed visual analysis on letter-like shape recognition. Cognition 2020; 205:104443. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2020.104443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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A goal-driven modular neural network predicts parietofrontal neural dynamics during grasping. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:32124-32135. [PMID: 33257539 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2005087117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the primary ways we interact with the world is using our hands. In macaques, the circuit spanning the anterior intraparietal area, the hand area of the ventral premotor cortex, and the primary motor cortex is necessary for transforming visual information into grasping movements. However, no comprehensive model exists that links all steps of processing from vision to action. We hypothesized that a recurrent neural network mimicking the modular structure of the anatomical circuit and trained to use visual features of objects to generate the required muscle dynamics used by primates to grasp objects would give insight into the computations of the grasping circuit. Internal activity of modular networks trained with these constraints strongly resembled neural activity recorded from the grasping circuit during grasping and paralleled the similarities between brain regions. Network activity during the different phases of the task could be explained by linear dynamics for maintaining a distributed movement plan across the network in the absence of visual stimulus and then generating the required muscle kinematics based on these initial conditions in a module-specific way. These modular models also outperformed alternative models at explaining neural data, despite the absence of neural data during training, suggesting that the inputs, outputs, and architectural constraints imposed were sufficient for recapitulating processing in the grasping circuit. Finally, targeted lesioning of modules produced deficits similar to those observed in lesion studies of the grasping circuit, providing a potential model for how brain regions may coordinate during the visually guided grasping of objects.
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40
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Rowe PJ, Haenschel C, Khachatoorian N, Yarrow K. Post-stroke object affordances: An EEG investigation. Brain Cogn 2020; 146:105639. [PMID: 33171344 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2020.105639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2020] [Revised: 09/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Rehabilitating upper limb function after stroke is a key therapeutic goal. In healthy brains, objects, especially tools, are said to cause automatic motoric 'affordances'; affecting our preparation to handle objects. For example, the N2 event-related potential has been shown to correlate with the functional properties of objects in healthy adults during passive viewing. We posited that such an affordance effect might also be observed in chronic-stage stroke survivors. With either dominant or non-dominant hand forward, we presented three kinds of stimuli in stereoscopic depth; grasp objects affording a power-grip, pinch objects affording a thumb and forefinger precision-grip and an empty desk, affording no action. EEG data from 10 stroke survivors and 15 neurologically healthy subjects were analysed for the N1 and N2 ERP components. Both components revealed differences between the two object stimuli categories and the empty desk for both groups, suggesting the presence of affordance-related motor priming from around 100 to 370 ms after stimulus onset. Hence, we speculate that stroke survivors with loss of upper limb function may benefit from object presentation regimes designed to maximise motor priming when attempting movements with manipulable objects. However, further investigation would be necessary with acute stage patients, especially those diagnosed with apraxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula J Rowe
- Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, Department of Psychology, City, University of London, United Kingdom.
| | - Corinna Haenschel
- Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, Department of Psychology, City, University of London, United Kingdom
| | - Nareg Khachatoorian
- Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, Department of Psychology, City, University of London, United Kingdom
| | - Kielan Yarrow
- Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, Department of Psychology, City, University of London, United Kingdom
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Uccelli S, Palumbo L, Harrison NR, Bruno N. Asymmetric effects of graspable distractor disks on motor preparation of successive grasps: A behavioural and event-related potential (ERP) study. Int J Psychophysiol 2020; 158:318-330. [PMID: 33164874 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2020.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
There is evidence that seeing a graspable object automatically elicits a preparatory motor process. However, it is unclear whether this implicit visuomotor process might influence the preparation of a successive grasp for a different object. We addressed the issue by implementing a combined behavioural and electrophysiological paradigm. Participants performed pantomimed grasps directed to small or large disks with either a two (pincer) or a five-finger (pentapod) grip, after the presentation of congruent (same size) or incongruent (different size) distractor disks. Preview reaction times (PRTs) and response-locked lateralized readiness potentials (R-LRPs) were recorded as online indices of motor preparation. Results revealed asymmetric effects of the distractors on PRTs and R-LRPs. For pincer grip disks, incongruent distractors were associated with longer PRTs and a delayed R-LRP peak. For pentapod grip disks, conversely, incongruent distractors were associated with shorter PRTs and a delayed R-LRP onset. Supporting an interpretation of these effects as tapping into motor preparation, we did not observe modulations of stimulus-locked LRP's (sensitive to sensory processing), or of the P300 component (related to reallocating attentional resources). These results challenge models (i.e., the "dorsal amnesia" hypothesis) which assume that visuomotor information presented before a grasp will not affect how we later perform that grasp.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Letizia Palumbo
- Liverpool Hope University, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Neil R Harrison
- Liverpool Hope University, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
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42
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Klein LK, Maiello G, Paulun VC, Fleming RW. Predicting precision grip grasp locations on three-dimensional objects. PLoS Comput Biol 2020; 16:e1008081. [PMID: 32750070 PMCID: PMC7428291 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We rarely experience difficulty picking up objects, yet of all potential contact points on the surface, only a small proportion yield effective grasps. Here, we present extensive behavioral data alongside a normative model that correctly predicts human precision grasping of unfamiliar 3D objects. We tracked participants' forefinger and thumb as they picked up objects of 10 wood and brass cubes configured to tease apart effects of shape, weight, orientation, and mass distribution. Grasps were highly systematic and consistent across repetitions and participants. We employed these data to construct a model which combines five cost functions related to force closure, torque, natural grasp axis, grasp aperture, and visibility. Even without free parameters, the model predicts individual grasps almost as well as different individuals predict one another's, but fitting weights reveals the relative importance of the different constraints. The model also accurately predicts human grasps on novel 3D-printed objects with more naturalistic geometries and is robust to perturbations in its key parameters. Together, the findings provide a unified account of how we successfully grasp objects of different 3D shape, orientation, mass, and mass distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina K. Klein
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Guido Maiello
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Vivian C. Paulun
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Roland W. Fleming
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
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43
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Venuleo C, Salvatore G, Ruggieri RA, Marinaci T, Cozzolino M, Salvatore S. Steps Towards a Unified Theory of Psychopathology: The Phase Space of Meaning Model. CLINICAL NEUROPSYCHIATRY 2020; 17:236-252. [PMID: 34908999 PMCID: PMC8629070 DOI: 10.36131/cnfioritieditore20200405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The hypothesis of a general psychopathology factor (p factor) has been advanced in recent years. It is an innovation with breakthrough potential, in the perspective of a unified view of psychopathology; however, what remains a controversial topic is how its nature might be conceptualized. The current paper outlines a semiotic, embodied and psychoanalytic conceptualization of psychopathology - the Phase Space of Meaning (PSM) model - aimed at providing ontological grounds to the p factor hypothesis. Framed within a more general model of how the mind works, the PSM model maintains that the p factor can be conceived as the empirical marker of the degree of rigidity of the meaning-maker's way of interpreting experience, namely of the dimensions of meanings used to map the environment's variability. As to the clinical implications, two main aspects are outlined. First, according PSM model, psychopathology is not an invariant condition, and does not have a set dimensionality, but is able to vary it locally, in order to address the requirement of situated action. Second, psychopathology is conceived as one of the mind's modes of working, rather than the manifestation of its disruption. Finally, the puzzling issue of the interplay between stability and variability in the evolutionary trajectories of patients along with their life events is addressed and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Venuleo
- Department of History, Society, and Human Studies, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | | | | | - Tiziana Marinaci
- Department of History, Society, and Human Studies, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - Mauro Cozzolino
- Department of Human, Philosophical and Training Sciences, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Sergio Salvatore
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
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Yuan RC, Bottjer SW. Multidimensional Tuning in Motor Cortical Neurons during Active Behavior. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0109-20.2020. [PMID: 32661067 PMCID: PMC7396810 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0109-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A region within songbird cortex, dorsal intermediate arcopallium (AId), is functionally analogous to motor cortex in mammals and has been implicated in song learning during development. Non-vocal factors such as visual and social cues are known to mediate song learning and performance, yet previous chronic-recording studies of regions important for song behavior have focused exclusively on neural activity in relation to song production. Thus, we have little understanding of the range of non-vocal information that single neurons may encode. We made chronic recordings in AId of freely behaving juvenile zebra finches and evaluated neural activity during diverse motor behaviors throughout entire recording sessions, including song production as well as hopping, pecking, preening, fluff-ups, beak interactions, scratching, and stretching. These movements are part of natural behavioral repertoires and are important components of both song learning and courtship behavior. A large population of AId neurons showed significant modulation of activity during singing. In addition, single neurons demonstrated heterogeneous response patterns during multiple movements (including excitation during one movement type and suppression during another), and some neurons showed differential activity depending on the context in which movements occurred. Moreover, we found evidence of neurons that did not respond during discrete movements but were nonetheless modulated during active behavioral states compared with quiescence. Our results suggest that AId neurons process both vocal and non-vocal information, highlighting the importance of considering the variety of multimodal factors that can contribute to vocal motor learning during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel C Yuan
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Sarah W Bottjer
- Section of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
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The Topography of Visually Guided Grasping in the Premotor Cortex: A Dense-Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Mapping Study. J Neurosci 2020; 40:6790-6800. [PMID: 32709693 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0560-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Visuomotor transformations at the cortical level occur along a network where posterior parietal regions are connected to homologous premotor regions. Grasping-related activity is represented in a diffuse, ventral and dorsal system in the posterior parietal regions, but no systematic causal description of a premotor counterpart of a similar diffuse grasping representation is available. To fill this gap, we measured the kinematics of right finger movements in 17 male and female human participants during grasping of three objects of different sizes. Single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation was applied 100 ms after visual presentation of the object over a regular grid of 8 spots covering the left premotor cortex (PMC) and 2 Sham stimulations. Maximum finger aperture during reach was used as the feature to classify object size in different types of classifiers. Classification accuracy was taken as a measure of the efficiency of visuomotor transformations for grasping. Results showed that transcranial magnetic stimulation reduced classification accuracy compared with Sham stimulation when it was applied to 2 spots in the ventral PMC and 1 spot in the medial PMC, corresponding approximately to the ventral PMC and the dorsal portion of the supplementary motor area. Our results indicate a multifocal representation of object geometry for grasping in the PMC that matches the known multifocal parietal maps of grasping representations. Additionally, we confirm that, by applying a uniform spatial sampling procedure, transcranial magnetic stimulation can produce cortical functional maps independent of a priori spatial assumptions.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Visually guided actions activate a large frontoparietal network. Here, we used a dense grid of transcranial magnetic stimulation spots covering the whole premotor cortex (PMC), to identify with accurate spatial mapping the functional specialization of the human PMC during grasping movement. Results corroborate previous findings about the role of the ventral PMC in preshaping the fingers according to the size of the target. Crucially, we found that the medial part of PMC, putatively covering the supplementary motor area, plays a direct role in object grasping. In concert with findings in nonhuman primates, these results indicate a multifocal representation of object geometry for grasping in the PMC and expand our understanding of how our brain integrates visual and motor information to perform visually guided actions.
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46
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Jerjian SJ, Sahani M, Kraskov A. Movement initiation and grasp representation in premotor and primary motor cortex mirror neurons. eLife 2020; 9:e54139. [PMID: 32628107 PMCID: PMC7384858 DOI: 10.7554/elife.54139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pyramidal tract neurons (PTNs) within macaque rostral ventral premotor cortex (F5) and (M1) provide direct input to spinal circuitry and are critical for skilled movement control. Contrary to initial hypotheses, they can also be active during action observation, in the absence of any movement. A population-level understanding of this phenomenon is currently lacking. We recorded from single neurons, including identified PTNs, in (M1) (n = 187), and F5 (n = 115) as two adult male macaques executed, observed, or withheld (NoGo) reach-to-grasp actions. F5 maintained a similar representation of grasping actions during both execution and observation. In contrast, although many individual M1 neurons were active during observation, M1 population activity was distinct from execution, and more closely aligned to NoGo activity, suggesting this activity contributes to withholding of self-movement. M1 and its outputs may dissociate initiation of movement from representation of grasp in order to flexibly guide behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Jack Jerjian
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Institute of NeurologyLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Maneesh Sahani
- Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Alexander Kraskov
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Institute of NeurologyLondonUnited Kingdom
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Zhao L. Character Cues Modulate the Affordance Effects during Danger Warning. THE SPANISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2020; 23:e2. [PMID: 32436490 DOI: 10.1017/sjp.2020.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
It has been demonstrated that perception of objects automatically evokes potential actions to interact with those objects; this is termed as affordance. The present study investigated how the corresponding affordance effect of graspable objects was modulated by the cue about risk levels of object. Participants were presented with pictures of dangerous graspable objects or neutral graspable objects. The participants were required to perform an upright/upside down discrimination task by pressing different keys. Results showed that both the affordance effects of dangerous object and neutral object in children were enhanced when a cue preceded the object, t(35) = 3.83, p < .01, Cohen's d = 1.29. These results indicate that the prompt of risk level can improve individual's appropriate manipulation to the object.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Zhao
- Baoji University of Arts and Sciences (China)
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Parr T, Sajid N, Friston KJ. Modules or Mean-Fields? ENTROPY 2020; 22:e22050552. [PMID: 33286324 PMCID: PMC7517075 DOI: 10.3390/e22050552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The segregation of neural processing into distinct streams has been interpreted by some as evidence in favour of a modular view of brain function. This implies a set of specialised ‘modules’, each of which performs a specific kind of computation in isolation of other brain systems, before sharing the result of this operation with other modules. In light of a modern understanding of stochastic non-equilibrium systems, like the brain, a simpler and more parsimonious explanation presents itself. Formulating the evolution of a non-equilibrium steady state system in terms of its density dynamics reveals that such systems appear on average to perform a gradient ascent on their steady state density. If this steady state implies a sufficiently sparse conditional independency structure, this endorses a mean-field dynamical formulation. This decomposes the density over all states in a system into the product of marginal probabilities for those states. This factorisation lends the system a modular appearance, in the sense that we can interpret the dynamics of each factor independently. However, the argument here is that it is factorisation, as opposed to modularisation, that gives rise to the functional anatomy of the brain or, indeed, any sentient system. In the following, we briefly overview mean-field theory and its applications to stochastic dynamical systems. We then unpack the consequences of this factorisation through simple numerical simulations and highlight the implications for neuronal message passing and the computational architecture of sentience.
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Cattaneo L, Giampiccolo D, Meneghelli P, Tramontano V, Sala F. Cortico-cortical connectivity between the superior and inferior parietal lobules and the motor cortex assessed by intraoperative dual cortical stimulation. Brain Stimul 2020; 13:819-831. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2020.02.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Revised: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
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Leopold DA, Park SH. Studying the visual brain in its natural rhythm. Neuroimage 2020; 216:116790. [PMID: 32278093 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
How the brain fluidly orchestrates visual behavior is a central question in cognitive neuroscience. Researchers studying neural responses in humans and nonhuman primates have mapped out visual response profiles and cognitive modulation in a large number of brain areas, most often using pared down stimuli and highly controlled behavioral paradigms. The historical emphasis on reductionism has placed most studies at one pole of an inherent trade-off between strictly controlled experimental variables and open designs that monitor the brain during its natural modes of operation. This bias toward simplified experiments has strongly shaped the field of visual neuroscience, with little guarantee that the principles and concepts established within that framework will apply more generally. In recent years, a growing number of studies have begun to relax strict experimental control with the aim of understanding how the brain responds under more naturalistic conditions. In this article, we survey research that has explicitly embraced the complexity and rhythm of natural vision. We focus on those studies most pertinent to understanding high-level visual specializations in brains of humans and nonhuman primates. We conclude that representationalist concepts borne from conventional visual experiments fall short in their ability to capture the real-life visual operations undertaken by the brain. More naturalistic approaches, though fraught with experimental and analytic challenges, provide fertile ground for neuroscientists seeking new inroads to investigate how the brain supports core aspects of our daily visual experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Leopold
- Section on Cognitive Neurophysiology and Imaging, Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA; Neurophysiology Imaging Facility, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - Soo Hyun Park
- Section on Cognitive Neurophysiology and Imaging, Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
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