Neural substrates for sharing intention in action during face-to-face imitation
Kohei Miyata1, Takahiko Koike1, Eri Nakagawa1
1Division of Cerebral Integration, Department of System Neuroscience, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, 38 Nishigonaka, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan.
Neuroimage
|March 19, 2021
Summary
Face-to-face imitation enhances brain synchronization in the right inferior parietal lobule. This synchronization, crucial for inter-subjectivity, reflects a shared action representation developed during social interaction.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Social Interaction
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Face-to-face imitation is a key social interaction for developing shared understanding.
- The neural basis of shared action representation during imitation, crucial for inter-subjectivity, remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural mechanisms of shared action representation during face-to-face imitation.
- To test the hypothesis that pair-specific forward internal models, represented by mirror neuron system synchronization, underlie shared action representation.
Main Methods:
- Hyperscanning functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used on 16 pairs of participants during an immediate facial expression imitation task.
- Participants alternated roles as imitator and imitatee, expressing happy, sad, or neutral faces.
Main Results:
- Neural activation differed between imitating and being imitated, with minimal overlap.
- Online imitative interaction increased inter-brain synchronization in the right inferior parietal lobule.
- This synchronization correlated with the kinematic similarity of facial movements.
Conclusions:
- The right inferior parietal lobule plays a critical role in establishing shared action representations during imitative interaction.
- Inter-brain synchronization in this region supports a pair-specific forward internal model, facilitating inter-subjectivity.
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