That's (relevant for) me: task-set-dependent brain responses to delayed visual movement feedback.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Motor Control

Background:

• Bodily self-other distinction depends on matching predicted and actual sensory movement consequences.
• The brain updates its body representation using sensory mismatches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how the behavioral relevance of delayed visual movement feedback affects brain activity.
• To explore the neural mechanisms underlying visuomotor adaptation and self-body perception.

Main Methods:

• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to monitor brain activity.
• Participants performed tasks involving real and virtual hands with manipulated visual feedback delays.
• Task relevance of feedback delays was varied between conditions.

Main Results:

• The posterior parietal cortex (PPC) and extrastriate visual cortex showed stronger activation when feedback delays were behaviorally relevant (virtual hand task).
• The cerebellum exhibited increased activity and correlation with delay in the relevant condition.
• Activity in temporoparietal regions correlated with delay in both tasks, suggesting a general comparison mechanism.
• Anterior insula activity correlated with delay changes and errors, particularly in the relevant task.

Conclusions:

• Instructed behavioral relevance of delayed visual feedback enhances PPC and cerebellar responses for visuomotor adaptation.
• Temporoparietal regions engage in basic visuomotor comparison, irrespective of task relevance.
• The anterior insula plays a role in task-set-dependent processing of visual errors.