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Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation
Published on: December 31, 2013
Don't do it! Cortical inhibition and self-attribution during action observation
Simone Schütz-Bosbach1, Alessio Avenanti, Salvatore Maria Aglioti
1University College London, UK. bosbach@cbs.mpg.de
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
|August 16, 2008
Summary
Observing your own actions may inhibit your motor system, unlike observing others actions. This motor cortex inhibition linked to self-representation might prevent unwanted actions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Motor Control
Background:
- Shared neural representations are proposed for self-generated and observed actions.
- Previous research indicated the human motor system differentiates between self and other agents.
- The mechanism behind the lack of motor facilitation for self-actions remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if cortical inhibition underlies the absence of motor facilitation when observing self-actions.
- To explore the role of self-representation in modulating motor system activity during action observation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to measure motor cortex inhibition via silent period duration.
- Employed the rubber hand illusion to manipulate body ownership and attribute observed actions to self or other.
- Compared motor inhibition during observation of self-attributed actions versus other-attributed actions.
Main Results:
- Observation of self-attributed actions induced longer motor silent periods compared to a static hand.
- Observation of other-attributed actions resulted in shorter motor silent periods than self-attributed actions.
- These findings suggest agent-specific modulation of motor excitability.
Conclusions:
- A specific cortical inhibition process is associated with self-representation of actions.
- Motor system suppression for self-actions may prevent perseveration and maintain action control.
- The motor system is not agent-neutral, showing distinct responses to self versus other actions.
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