Effect of motion smoothness on brain activity while observing a dance: An fMRI study using a humanoid robot

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Motion smoothness is crucial for conveying implicit information in body actions, particularly in expressive forms like dance.
• Perception of motion smoothness is hypothesized to exhibit significant intersubject variability, influenced by personal backgrounds and attitudes towards expressive actions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the neural correlates of motion smoothness perception in expressive body actions using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
• To examine how intersubject variability in personal attitudes towards art influences the perception of motion smoothness during dance observation.

Main Methods:

• Employed fMRI and a humanoid robot to present controlled expressive body actions varying in motion smoothness.
• Utilized conventional subtraction analysis and functional connectivity analyses to explore brain activity and network dynamics.
• Correlated neural activity and network variability with individual attitudes towards art and consciousness.

Main Results:

• Motion smoothness positively correlated with increased activity in motion- and body-sensitive visual cortical areas.
• Intersubject variability in personal attitudes towards art did not affect activity in these visual areas.
• Significant intersubject variability was observed in parieto-frontal networks, strongly associated with personal attitudes about art consciousness.

Conclusions:

• While visual areas process motion smoothness objectively, personal attitudes towards art significantly modulate activity in higher-level cognitive networks, specifically the parieto-frontal network.
• These findings suggest that the neural basis of understanding actions in expressive contexts is shaped by individual subjective experiences and attitudes towards art.