title: Perception of hand movement by mirror reflection evokes brain activation in the motor cortex contralateral to a non-moving hand.
abstract: We investigated whether perception of hand movement via mirror reflection evokes activation in the motor cortex (M1) contralateral to the non-moving hand (the M1 ipsilateral to the moving hand). Continuous electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded from 14 participants while they performed unimanual extension-flexion hand movements in direct view and mirror view conditions. We measured the lateralized readiness potential (LRP) as a marker of M1 activation in both conditions. Both the direct and mirror view conditions produced LRPs, with the mirror view conditions revealing clear activation in M1 contralateral to the non-moving hand (ipsilateral to the moving hand) during both flexion and extension phases. This unambiguous demonstration of M1 activation in association with a non-moving hand (which is visually-perceived as moving), suggests that perception of movement can directly lead to M1 activation.
authors.affiliation: Action Brain and Cognition Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Otago, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Ranjan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Debnath
authors.affiliation: Action Brain and Cognition Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Otago, New Zealand. Electronic address: lfranz@psy.otago.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Franz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D003265:Contingent Negative Variation / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006225:Hand / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D010465:Perception / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Event related potential; Lateralized readiness potential; Mirror visual feedback; Motor cortex; Visual perception