Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026
12:33
Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation
Published on: December 31, 2013
Vicarious motor activation during action perception: beyond correlational evidence.
Alessio Avenanti1, Matteo Candidi, Cosimo Urgesi
1Dipartimento di Psicologia, Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna Bologna, Italy ; Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Campus di Cesena Cesena, Italy ; Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Fondazione Santa Lucia Roma, Italy.
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
|May 16, 2013
Summary
Seeing others
Area of Science:
- Social Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Motor System Research
Background:
- Neuroimaging reveals vicarious activation of motor regions when observing actions, suggesting a simulation mechanism.
- The functional significance of these vicarious activations for action understanding remains unclear.
- Establishing causal links between brain activity and cognitive functions is crucial in social neuroscience.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review studies using causal methods (stimulation/lesion) to investigate the motor system's role in action perception and understanding.
- To determine the necessity of vicarious activations for comprehending others' actions, emotions, and feelings.
Main Methods:
- Review of studies involving transient brain stimulation of the motor system.
- Review of studies examining individuals with stable lesions in the motor system.
- Analysis of the impact of these interventions on action perception and understanding.
Main Results:
- Compelling evidence indicates that neural activity within the motor system is critical for perceiving and understanding others' actions.
- Vicarious activations in the motor system play a significant role in social cognition.
Conclusions:
- Neural activity in the motor system is essential for the cognitive ability to perceive and understand others' actions.
- Further research employing causal methods is required to delineate the precise conditions and limitations for vicarious activation's role in understanding actions, emotions, and somatic feelings.
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