title: Responses of the human motor system to observing actions across species: A transcranial magnetic stimulation study.
abstract: Ample evidence suggests that the role of the mirror neuron system (MNS) in monkeys is to represent the meaning of actions. The MNS becomes active in monkeys during execution, observation, and auditory experience of meaningful, object-oriented actions, suggesting that these cells represent the same action based on a variety of cues. The present study sought to determine whether the human motor system, part of the putative human MNS, similarly represents and reflects the meaning of actions rather than simply the mechanics of the actions. To this end, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of primary motor cortex was used to generate motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) from muscles involved in grasping while participants viewed object-oriented grasping actions performed by either a human, an elephant, a rat, or a body-less robotic arm. The analysis of MEP amplitudes suggested that activity in primary motor cortex during action observation was greatest during observation of the grasping actions of the rat and elephant, and smallest for the human and robotic arm. Based on these data, we conclude that the human action observation system can represent actions executed by non-human animals and shows sensitivity to species-specific differences in action mechanics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 100 St. George St., Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G3, Canada. Electronic address: nicole.white@utoronto.ca.
authors.forename: Nicole C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: White
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, 55 Harbord St., Toronto, Ontario M5S 2W6, Canada.
authors.forename: Connor
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 100 St. George St., Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G3, Canada; Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, 55 Harbord St., Toronto, Ontario M5S 2W6, Canada; Centre for Motor Control, University of Toronto, 55 Harbord St., Toronto, Ontario M5S 2W6, Canada.
authors.forename: Timothy N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Welsh
keywords: Action observation; Mirror neurons; TMS; Theory of mind