Dissociating grasp and use intentions through EEG topography in virtual reality

Background Action intention modulates neural processing, even when motor execution is similar. ERP and fMRI research shows that grasping and tool use engage overlapping but distinct fronto- parietal networks. Virtual reality (VR) provides a realistic yet controlled environment for studying motor intentions. Still, few studies have compared grasping and tool use using high- temporal-resolution EEG within immersive virtual settings. Aim This study investigated whether diIerent action intentions—grasping versus using objects— elicit distinct cortical activation patterns in a VR context. Method Eighteen participants performed two tasks in a Godot-based VR environment: (1) GRASP, picking up and releasing a virtual object; and (2) USE, miming its use before releasing it. EEG was recorded using the ANT Neuro system and epoched from –500 to +500 ms relative to object appearance. Topographic analysis of variance (TANOVA) was conducted with RAGU. Preliminary results TANOVA revealed significant topographic diIerences between GRASP and USE conditions (200–400 ms, p = .001), based on 5000 random permutations and corrected for multiple comparisons. USE showed higher global field power, and the two conditions engaged diIerent topographic maps during overlapping time windows. Conclusion These findings extend previous literature on action planning, suggesting divergent cortical dynamics linked to action intention, and support EEG-VR integration as a promising approach to bridge the gap between laboratory precision and real-world complexity in studying motor cognition.