From 'acting on' to 'acting with': the functional anatomy of object-oriented action schemata

In this chapter it is proposed that object-based actions can be broadly classified into types. In the first, objects are 'acted on' without a specific purpose. In the second, objects are 'acted with'. In the latter case the grasp reflects the subsequent goal of the subject. Recent evidence from human functional imaging suggests different neural substrates for acting on an object (dorsal parietal cortex) and for acting with an object. Specifically, it is argued that conceptual knowledge of tool use and the pragmatics of action rely on an inferior parieto-medial frontal network in the left hemisphere.