Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
Brain Connectivity Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy.
Cereb Cortex. 2019 Mar 1;29(3):1351-1368. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhy322.
Action observation (AO) is crucial for motor planning, imitation learning, and social interaction, but it is not clear whether and how an action execution-observation network (AEON) processes the effort of others engaged in performing actions. In this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, we used a "squeeze ball" task involving different grip forces to investigate whether AEON activation showed similar patterns when executing the task or observing others performing it. Both in action execution, AE (subjects performed the visuomotor task) and action observation, AO (subjects watched a video of the task being performed by someone else), the fMRI signal was detected in cerebral and cerebellar regions. These responses showed various relationships with force mapping onto specific areas of the sensorimotor and cognitive systems. Conjunction analysis of AE and AO was repeated for the "0th" order and linear and nonlinear responses, and revealed multiple AEON nodes remapping the detection of actions, and also effort, of another person onto the observer's own cerebrocerebellar system. This result implies that the AEON exploits the cerebellum, which is known to process sensorimotor predictions and simulations, performing an internal assessment of forces and integrating information into high-level schemes, providing a crucial substrate for action imitation.
动作观察（AO）对于运动规划、模仿学习和社会互动至关重要，但目前尚不清楚动作执行-观察网络（AEON）是否以及如何处理他人执行动作时的努力。在这项功能磁共振成像（fMRI）研究中，我们使用了涉及不同握力的“挤压球”任务，以研究当执行任务或观察他人执行任务时，AEON 激活是否表现出相似的模式。在动作执行（主体执行视觉运动任务）和动作观察（主体观看他人执行任务的视频）中，fMRI 信号都在大脑和小脑区域被检测到。这些反应与力映射到感觉运动和认知系统的特定区域之间存在各种关系。对“0 阶”、线性和非线性反应的 AE 和 AO 进行联合分析，揭示了多个 AEON 节点将另一个人动作和努力的检测重新映射到观察者自己的脑-小脑系统。这一结果意味着 AEON 利用了小脑，小脑已知能够处理感觉运动预测和模拟，对内评估力并将信息整合到高级方案中，为动作模仿提供了关键的基质。
