title: The effect of action observation/execution on mirror neuron system recruitment: an fMRI study in healthy individuals.
abstract: Action observation and execution activate regions that are part of the motor and mirror neuron systems (MNS). Using functional magnetic resonance (fMRI), we defined the presence and extent of MNS activation during three different motor tasks with the dominant, right-upper limb in healthy individuals. The influence of the modality of task administration (execution, observation, observation and execution) was also investigated. fMRI scans during the execution (E) of a motor task, the observation (O) of a video showing the same task performed by another person and the simultaneous observation and execution (OE) of the task were obtained from three groups of healthy subjects (15 subjects per group) randomized to perform: a simple motor (SM) task, a complex motor (CM) task and a finalistic motor (FM) task. Manual dexterity was assessed using the 9-hole peg test and maximum finger tapping frequency. MNS activation was higher during FM than SM or CM tasks, independently from the modality of administration (E, O, or OE). Inferior frontal gyrus recruitment was more significant during SM than CM tasks in the E and O conditions. Compared to SM and FM, CM task resulted in increased recruitment of brain regions involved in complex motor task performance. Compared to O and E, OE resulted in the recruitment of additional, specific, brain areas in the cerebellum, temporal and parietal lobes. The modality of administration and the type of task modulated MNS recruitment during motor acts. This might have practical implications for the set-up of individualized motor rehabilitation strategies.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Analysis and Rehabilitation of Motor Function San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gatti
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute, Via Olgettina, 60, 20132, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rocca
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Analysis and Rehabilitation of Motor Function San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute, Milan, Italy.|Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute, Via Olgettina, 60, 20132, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fumagalli
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Bruxelles, Belgium.
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cattrysse
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Bruxelles, Belgium.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kerckhofs
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Falini
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute, Via Olgettina, 60, 20132, Milan, Italy. filippi.massimo@hsr.it.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Filippi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D059167:Mirror Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D011999:Recruitment, Neurophysiological / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Action execution; Action observation; Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Healthy individuals; Mirror neuron system