Showing papers by "Alessandro D'Ausilio published in 2020"
TL;DR: Investigating the influence of subject’s IMS on subjects’ motor excitability during the observation of an actor achieving the same goal by adopting two different IMSs found a negative relationship between CSE and actor-observer IMS distance, already at the single-subject level.
Abstract: Visual processing of other's actions is supported by sensorimotor brain activations. Access to sensorimotor representations may, in principle, provide the top-down signal required to bias search and selection of critical visual features. For this to happen, it is necessary that a stable one-to-one mapping exists between observed kinematics and underlying motor commands. However, due to the inherent redundancy of the human musculoskeletal system, this is hardly the case for multijoint actions where everyone has his own moving style (individual motor signature-IMS). Here, we investigated the influence of subject's IMS on subjects' motor excitability during the observation of an actor achieving the same goal by adopting two different IMSs. Despite a clear dissociation in kinematic and electromyographic patterns between the two actions, we found no group-level modulation of corticospinal excitability (CSE) in observers. Rather, we found a negative relationship between CSE and actor-observer IMS distance, already at the single-subject level. Thus, sensorimotor activity during action observation does not slavishly replicate the motor plan implemented by the actor, but rather reflects the distance between what is canonical according to one's own motor template and the observed movements performed by other individuals.
16 citations
TL;DR: The results suggest that corticospinal inhibition may be the central neurophysiological mechanism by which one's own motor execution is adapted to the contextual visual cues provided by other's actions.
13 citations
TL;DR: This study shows that visual information sampling is not just locked to the (overt) movement dynamics but to the internal (covert) dynamics of cortico-motor control, suggesting the operation of an internal and alpha-cycling visuomotor loop.
Abstract: Movements overtly sample sensory information, making sensory analysis an active-sensing process. In this study, we show that visual information sampling is not just locked to the (overt) movement dynamics but to the internal (covert) dynamics of cortico-motor control. We asked human participants to perform continuous isometric contraction while detecting unrelated and unpredictable near-threshold visual stimuli. The motor output (force) shows zero-lag coherence with brain activity (recorded via electroencephalography) in the beta-band, as previously reported. In contrast, cortical rhythms in the alpha-band systematically forerun the motor output by 200 milliseconds. Importantly, visual detection is facilitated when cortico-motor alpha (not beta) synchronization is enhanced immediately before stimulus onset, namely, at the optimal phase relationship for sensorimotor communication. These findings demonstrate an ongoing coupling between visual sampling and motor control, suggesting the operation of an internal and alpha-cycling visuomotor loop.
12 citations
TL;DR: Results, beside showing clear dissociation between fast and slow inhibition during JA, also shed new light on the predictive role played by corticospinal inhibitory mechanisms in online mutual behavioural co-adaptation.
11 citations
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that the temporal integration of afferent and efferent signals plays a key role in the genesis of the beta rebound and that these signals may be carried in parallel by different beta sub-bands.
Abstract: Modulation of cortical beta rhythm (15-30 Hz) is present during preparation for and execution of voluntary movements as well as during somatosensory stimulation. A rebound in beta synchronization is observed after the end of voluntary movements as well as after somatosensory stimulation and is believed to describe the return to baseline of sensorimotor networks. However, the contribution of efferent and afferent signals to the beta rebound remains poorly understood. Here, we applied electrical median nerve stimulation (MNS) to the right side followed by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on the left primary motor cortex after either 15 or 25 ms. Because the afferent volley reaches the somatosensory cortex after about 20 ms, TMS on the motor cortex was either anticipating or following the cortical arrival of the peripheral stimulus. We show modulations in different beta sub-bands and in both hemispheres, following a pattern of greater resynchronization when motor signals are paired with a peripheral one. The beta rebound in the left hemisphere (stimulated) is modulated in its lower frequency range when TMS precedes the cortical arrival of the afferent volley. In the right hemisphere (unstimulated), instead, the increase is limited to higher beta frequencies when TMS is delivered after the arrival of the afferent signal. In general, we demonstrate that the temporal integration of afferent and efferent signals plays a key role in the genesis of the beta rebound and that these signals may be carried in parallel by different beta sub-bands.
6 citations
TL;DR: It is concluded that others' embedded errors provide fundamental cues which, inserted within a complex hierarchical action plan, might be used by the observer to anticipate whether an action will eventually fail.
4 citations
TL;DR: An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Abstract: An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
4 citations
TL;DR: An automatic gating of visual inputs by the ongoing motor control processes is demonstrated, providing evidence of an internal and alpha-cycling visuomotor loop.
Abstract: Movements overtly sample sensory information, making sensory analysis an active-sensing process. In this study, we show that visual information sampling is not just locked to the (overt) movement dynamics, but it is structured by the internal (covert) dynamics of cortico-motor control. We asked human participants to perform an isometric motor task – based on proprioceptive feedback – while detecting unrelated near-threshold visual stimuli. The motor output (Force) shows zero-lag coherence with brain activity (recorded via electroencephalography) in the beta-band, as previously reported. In contrast, cortical rhythms in the alpha-band systematically forerun the motor output by 200ms. Importantly, visual detection is facilitated when cortico-motor alpha (not beta) synchronization is enhanced immediately before stimulus onset, namely at the optimal phase relationship for sensorimotor communication. These findings demonstrate an automatic gating of visual inputs by the ongoing motor control processes, providing evidence of an internal and alpha-cycling visuomotor loop.
1 citations
1 citations
01 Jan 2020
TL;DR: This chapter discusses how the study of action perception may effectively be enriched by applying core principles of motor control and presents evidences in favour of a modular control strategy in action observation.
Abstract: Action perception relies on a parieto-premotor brain network engaged during both perception of actions performed by conspecifics and actual execution of actions. Despite important overlap between neural activations during action observation and action execution, the functional relevance of these activities remains debated. In this chapter, we will discuss how the study of action perception may effectively be enriched by applying core principles of motor control. By doing so, we present evidences in favour of: (i) the presence of a modular control strategy in action observation; (ii) the role of motor inhibition in coping with unpredictable action outcomes. We conclude that reaffirming the strong parallel with motor control would provide important insight into the investigation of action perception mechanisms.