title: Action preparation shapes processing in early visual cortex.
abstract: Preparation for an action, such as grasping an object, is accompanied by an enhanced perception of the object's action-relevant features, such as orientation and size. Cortical feedback from motor planning areas to early visual areas may drive this enhanced perception. To examine whether action preparation modulates activity in early human visual cortex, subjects grasped or pointed to oriented objects while high-resolution fMRI data were acquired. Using multivoxel pattern analysis techniques, we could decode with >70% accuracy whether a grasping or pointing action was prepared from signals in visual cortex as early as V1. These signals in early visual cortex were observed even when actions were only prepared but not executed. Anterior parietal cortex, on the other hand, showed clearest modulation for actual movements. This demonstrates that preparation of actions, even without execution, modulates relevant neuronal populations in early visual areas.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Psychiatry, Radboud University Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, 6525 HR, Nijmegen, the Netherlands, and t.gutteling@donders.ru.nl.
authors.forename: Tjerk P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Gutteling
authors.affiliation: Radiology, and.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Petridou
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, 3584 CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Serge O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Dumoulin
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, 3584 CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ben M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.affiliation: Neurosurgery, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3508 GA, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Erik J
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7648-250X
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Aarnoutse
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, 3584 CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: J Leon
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Kenemans
authors.affiliation: Departments of Psychiatry.
authors.forename: Sebastian F W
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Neggers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: MVPA; action preparation; feature perception; grasping; high-field fMRI; visual cortex