title: Visual gravity cues in the interpretation of biological movements: neural correlates in humans.
abstract: Our visual system takes into account the effects of Earth gravity to interpret biological motion (BM), but the neural substrates of this process remain unclear. Here we measured functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) signals while participants viewed intact or scrambled stick-figure animations of walking, running, hopping, and skipping recorded at normal or reduced gravity. We found that regions sensitive to BM configuration in the occipito-temporal cortex (OTC) were more active for reduced than normal gravity but with intact stimuli only. Effective connectivity analysis suggests that predictive coding of gravity effects underlies BM interpretation. This process might be implemented by a family of snapshot neurons involved in action monitoring.
authors.affiliation: Centre of Space BioMedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: v.maffei@hsantalucia.it.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Maffei
authors.affiliation: Centre of Space BioMedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Iole
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Indovina
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of NeuroImaging, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Emiliano
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Macaluso
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Yuri P
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Ivanenko
authors.affiliation: Laboratorium voor Neuro- en Psychofysiologie, K.U. Leuven, Medical School, Campus Gasthuisberg, Herestraat 49/1021, BE-3000 Leuven, Belgium; Department of Neuroscience University of Parma, Via Volturno 39, 43100 Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: A Orban
authors.affiliation: Centre of Space BioMedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lacquaniti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D006112:Gravitation; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D009068:Movement; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Action observation; Biological motion; DCM; Gravity; Mismatch detection; Predictive code