Kostorz Kathrin, Flanagin Virginia L, Glasauer Stefan
German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders, Klinikum der Universität München, Germany.
Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany.
Neuroimage Rep. 2022 Mar 21;2(2):100084. doi: 10.1016/j.ynirp.2022.100084. eCollection 2022 Jun.
Watching an instructional video has become a common way to learn a new task. However, we have but a sparse understanding of the neural processes involved during observational learning in naturalistic settings. Recently developed data driven methods for analyzing brain activity provide an opportunity for further investigation. Here, we evaluate intersubject synchrony during fMRI to understand common brain processes during naturalistic observational learning. Participants solitarily watched an instructional video and learned how to fold a paper figure. Three learning runs were sufficient to successfully solve the task. To assess interbrain synchrony, we extended previous principal component (PCA)-based methods to an intersubject principal component analysis (PCA), which offers multiple measures for additional insights into the nature of the synchrony. Using the different metrics of this method, we show a robust synchronous involvement of the action observation execution network (AOEN) in observational learning, between subjects as well as within subjects, regardless of the task or video content. Importantly, additional areas such as the cerebellum, primary motor cortex, control, and sensory integration areas also showed robust synchrony in observational learning. Complimentary to this robust general synchrony, individual regions of the AOEN exhibited task-related differences. Synchrony decreased during the learning process, likely reflecting task state and individual learning strategies. To test the stimulus as a possible source of synchrony, we quantified the temporal structure as the optic flow of the instructional video. Optic flow was strongly related to common activation of the somatomotor areas of the AOEN well beyond visual areas, but could not completely explain synchrony. Thus, although visual motion provides a proxy for meaningful hand actions, our results suggest that intersubject synchrony reflects common cognitive processing during observational learning beyond sensory input.
观看教学视频已成为学习新任务的常见方式。然而，我们对自然环境中观察性学习过程中涉及的神经过程了解甚少。最近开发的用于分析大脑活动的数据驱动方法为进一步研究提供了机会。在这里，我们评估功能磁共振成像（fMRI）期间的受试者间同步性，以了解自然观察性学习过程中常见的大脑过程。参与者独自观看教学视频并学习如何折叠纸艺图形。三次学习过程足以成功完成任务。为了评估脑间同步性，我们将先前基于主成分分析（PCA）的方法扩展为受试者间主成分分析（PCA），该方法提供了多种测量方法，可进一步深入了解同步性的本质。使用该方法的不同指标，我们发现动作观察执行网络（AOEN）在观察性学习中，在受试者之间以及受试者内部都有强大的同步参与，无论任务或视频内容如何。重要的是，其他区域，如小脑、初级运动皮层、控制和感觉整合区域在观察性学习中也表现出强大的同步性。与这种强大的一般同步性相辅相成的是，AOEN的各个区域表现出与任务相关的差异。同步性在学习过程中下降，这可能反映了任务状态和个体学习策略。为了测试刺激是否是同步性的可能来源，我们将时间结构量化为教学视频的光流。光流与AOEN的躯体运动区域的共同激活密切相关，远远超出视觉区域，但不能完全解释同步性。因此，尽管视觉运动为有意义的手部动作提供了一种替代，但我们的结果表明，受试者间同步性反映了观察性学习过程中超出感官输入的共同认知处理。
