The action observation-execution network (AOEN; Caspers et al., 2010; Molenberghs et al., 2012) includes premotor and parietal areas activated by both action execution and observation. Keysers et al. (2010) suggested the primary somatosensory area (SI) also participates in the AOEN, by simulating the somatosensory consequences of the observed action, a prediction supported by the fact that interfering with SI activation impairs action observation (Valchev et al., submitted). We examined, whether SI and the parieto-frontal AOEN are in fact a single, causally interconnected sensorimotor network, or two independent networks processing observed actions separately. To this aim, we combined continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS) with fMRI to perturb SI and measure the effects on the rest of the AOEN. Results show that cTBS-induced changes in SI predicted changes in premotor Obs activation and cTBS stimulation over SI seems to have a distal causal effect on premotor and parietal regions of the AOEN. Using acombination of cTBS and fMRI we show that SI is an active component of the AOEN that has causal effects on premotor regions classically associated with the mirror neuron system as measured in monkey (Gallese et al., 1996).
Somatosensory cortex in action observation, a combined fMRI and cTBS study
AVENANTI, ALESSIO;
2012
Abstract
The action observation-execution network (AOEN; Caspers et al., 2010; Molenberghs et al., 2012) includes premotor and parietal areas activated by both action execution and observation. Keysers et al. (2010) suggested the primary somatosensory area (SI) also participates in the AOEN, by simulating the somatosensory consequences of the observed action, a prediction supported by the fact that interfering with SI activation impairs action observation (Valchev et al., submitted). We examined, whether SI and the parieto-frontal AOEN are in fact a single, causally interconnected sensorimotor network, or two independent networks processing observed actions separately. To this aim, we combined continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS) with fMRI to perturb SI and measure the effects on the rest of the AOEN. Results show that cTBS-induced changes in SI predicted changes in premotor Obs activation and cTBS stimulation over SI seems to have a distal causal effect on premotor and parietal regions of the AOEN. Using acombination of cTBS and fMRI we show that SI is an active component of the AOEN that has causal effects on premotor regions classically associated with the mirror neuron system as measured in monkey (Gallese et al., 1996).I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
