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Causative role of left aIPS in coding shared goals during human-avatar complementary joint actions.
Lucia M Sacheli1, Matteo Candidi1, Vanessa Era1
11] Department of Psychology, University of Rome 'Sapienza', Rome I-00185, Italy [2] IRCCS, Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome I-00179, Italy.
Predicting partner actions during complementary movements relies on the anterior intraparietal sulcus (aIPS). Inhibiting aIPS impairs coordination, highlighting its role in understanding shared goals during human-computer interaction.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Motor Control
Background:
- Successful motor interactions depend on anticipating partners' actions for predictive movement adjustments.
- Neural basis of predicting action goals during passive observation is known, but not during active, complementary interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the causal role of higher-order motor cortical regions in predicting and adapting to others' actions during active, non-imitative interactions.
- Identify critical neural substrates supporting interpersonal coordination in complementary tasks.
Main Methods:
- Utilized continuous Theta Burst Stimulation (cTBS), a non-invasive inhibitory brain stimulation technique.
- Developed a novel human-avatar interaction task to assess complementary actions.
- Applied cTBS to specific higher-order motor cortical regions, including the anterior intraparietal sulcus (aIPS) and ventral premotor cortex.
Main Results:
- Inhibition of the left anterior intraparietal sulcus (aIPS) selectively impaired performance in complementary interactions.
- Inhibition of the ventral premotor cortex did not significantly affect performance in these interactions.
- Demonstrated a causal link between aIPS function and the ability to coordinate actions with a partner in a non-imitative context.
Conclusions:
- The anterior intraparietal sulcus (aIPS) plays a crucial role in coding 'shared goals' during complementary interactions.
- aIPS integrates predictions of one's own and others' complementary actions, extending beyond coding observed and executed action goals.
- Findings reveal a critical neural substrate for predictive interpersonal motor coordination in higher-order motor cortex.
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