Enhanced activation in the extrastriate body area by goal-directed actions.
OBJECTIVE
Neuroimaging studies on biological motion have established the view that the posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) is involved in detecting intention of others. Those studies have consistently reported other regions such as body-selective extrastriate body area (EBA) and motion-sensitive middle temporal, in close proximity to pSTS. Whether EBA responds only to static body parts or has a more extended role as part of a system for inferring intention of others has remained an elusive issue. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of EBA in processing goal-directed actions.


METHODS
Twelve healthy volunteers participated in the present study. Using sports-related motions as visual stimuli, brain activations were examined during observation of goal-directed actions and non-goal-directed actions on functional magnetic resonance imaging.


RESULTS
Compared to non-goal-directed actions, goal-directed actions produced greater activations in EBA along with the mirror neuron system.


CONCLUSIONS
EBA might contribute to understanding others' actions by representing the dynamic aspects of human motions.
Takahashi
Hidehiko
H
Department of Molecular Neuroimaging, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba, Japan. hidehiko@nirs.go.jp
Shibuya
Tomohisa
T
Kato
Motoichiro
M
Sassa
Takeshi
T
Koeda
Michihiko
M
Yahata
Noriaki
N
Suhara
Tetsuya
T
Okubo
Yoshiro
Y
D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003210:Concept Formation / Q000502:physiology*; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007092:Imagination / Q000502:physiology; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D033182:Intention; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000502:physiology; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D012938:Social Perception; D014741:Video Recording; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000502:physiology*