Action Observation and Synchronization

Infant and adult brains are coupled to the dynamics of natural communication

This study examines neural coupling during real-time interactions between infants and adults using fNIRS, finding increased synchronization and tracking of mutual gaze, emotion, and speech prosody.

Incomplete information about the partner affects the development of collaborative strategies in joint action

The paper shows that incomplete information about a partner slows collaboration learning and leads to alternating leader-follower roles, while reliable information promotes synchronous collaboration.

The representational space of observed actions

The paper examines the neural representation of observed actions using fMRI and finds that lateral occipitotemporal cortex and left posterior inferior parietal lobe capture the semantic dissimilarity structure of actions.

The Human Dynamic Clamp reveals the fronto-parietal network linking real-time social coordination and cognition

This study uses the Human Dynamic Clamp and EEG to show how sensorimotor coordination affects social cognition, revealing two neural networks linked to cooperation and humanness judgments.

Emotional valence modulates the topology of the parent-infant inter-brain network

This study examines how emotional valence affects parent-infant inter-brain network topology using dual-EEG data during social interactions.

The observation of explicit and implicit visuomotor cues can drive predictive motor control

This study shows that observing skilled or erroneous lifts updates participants' internal sensorimotor object representation, enabling accurate predictive force scaling during subsequent lifts.

A Kuramoto model of self-other integration across interpersonal synchronization strategies

The paper proposes a Kuramoto model to explain interpersonal synchronization strategies through self-other integration, showing how coupling strengths between and within units determine different synchronization patterns.

Action perception recruits the cerebellum and is impaired in spinocerebellar ataxia patients

This study shows that observing others' hand actions activates specific cerebellar regions and that SCA6 patients have impaired ability to perceive these actions.

Age-related changes in human emotional egocentricity: evidence from multi-level neuroimaging

This study investigates age-related changes in emotional egocentric bias using neuroimaging, finding that older adults show higher bias linked to reduced connectivity in the right supramarginal gyrus.

Improving Social Interactive Learning through Dual Brain Stimulation

This study shows that dual brain stimulation can enhance social interactive learning by inducing synchronized brain activity and movement between an instructor and learner.

Prior physical synchrony enhances rapport and inter-brain synchronization during subsequent educational communication

This study shows that prior physical synchrony improves rapport and inter-brain synchronization during educational communication but does not affect word memory.

Lateral occipitotemporal cortex encodes perceptual components of social actions rather than abstract representations of sociality

This study uses fMRI and RSA to show that lateral occipitotemporal cortex encodes perceptual components of social actions, not abstract representations of sociality.

Sensorimotor system engagement during ASL sign perception: an EEG study in deaf signers and hearing non-signers

This study uses EEG to compare sensorimotor responses to one-handed and two-handed ASL signs in deaf signers and hearing non-signers, finding differential activation patterns related to motor characteristics.

Dissociable electrophysiological correlates of semantic access of motor and non-motor concepts

The paper investigates the neural correlates of semantic access for motor and non-motor action verbs, finding no specific role for sensorimotor cortices but noting later alpha band modulation.

Predictive coding account of action perception: Evidence from effective connectivity in the Action Observation Network

The paper investigates effective connectivity in the Action Observation Network using fMRI and DCM, finding feedback connections during prediction violation.

Increased sensorimotor activity during categorisation of ambiguous emotional expressions

The paper investigates how sensorimotor activity changes during the categorization of ambiguous emotional expressions using EEG, finding stronger mu suppression for neutral faces categorized as happy or sad.

Frontal and occipito-temporal Theta activity as marker of error monitoring in Human-Avatar joint performance

The paper investigates error monitoring in human-avatar motor interactions, finding that frontal and occipito-temporal Theta activity correlates during unexpected movement violations.

Distinguishing \"self\" from \"other\" in a dynamic synchronization task with an adaptive virtual partner.

The paper investigates how self-other merging affects performance in a dynamic synchronization task using a virtual partner and fMRI, showing that distinct self-other processing improves coordination.

The inhibition of automatic imitation: a meta-analysis and synthesis of fMRI studies

This paper conducts a meta-analysis of fMRI studies on automatic imitation control, finding consistent activation in the multiple demand network and limited evidence for the theory-of-mind network.

Emotional Mirrors in the Rat’s Anterior Cingulate Cortex

The paper identifies mirror-like neurons in the rat's anterior cingulate cortex that encode both self-experienced pain and witnessed pain in others, but not fear.

Uncertainty in contextual and kinematic cues jointly modulate motor resonance in primary motor cortex

The paper investigates how uncertainty in contextual and kinematic cues modulates motor resonance in primary motor cortex during movement observation.

Movement imitation via an abstract trajectory representation in dorsal premotor cortex

This study investigates how humans imitate movements by analyzing stroke patients' ability to replicate trajectories using different cues, finding that dorsal premotor cortex plays a key role in abstract trajectory representation.

A fronto-temporo-parietal network disambiguates potential objects of joint attention

The paper identifies a three-component neural network involved in disambiguating objects of joint attention using fMRI data.

Mental simulation of facial expressions: Mu suppression to the viewing of dynamic neutral face videos

This study investigates mu suppression in response to dynamic facial expressions and non-biological stimuli, finding stronger mu suppression for neutral faces compared to non-biological stimuli.

The influence of prosocial priming on visual perspective taking and automatic imitation

This study investigates the relationship between prosocial priming, imitation, and perspective taking, finding no effect of prosocial primes on imitation and issues with the reliability of the Directors Task for measuring perspective taking.

Social touch observation in adults with autism: intact neural representations of affective meaning but lack of embodied resonance

This study examines neural representations of socio-affective touch in adults with autism, finding intact cognitive understanding but lack of embodied resonance in somatosensory areas.

Social spread of positive facial signals: affiliative zygomatic synchrony in co-present individuals

The paper shows that smiling synchrony between strangers in a social setting predicts affiliative feelings and is linked to cardiovascular and emotional convergence during positive stimuli.

Perceiving Hesitation requires both the Motor and Mentalizing systems

The paper shows that detecting hesitation in others' actions involves both mentalizing and mirror neuron systems, with motor information necessary for attributing mental states.

Multimodal music perception engages motor prediction: a TMS study

This study uses TMS to show that multimodal music perception with sound lagging increases cortico-spinal excitability in specific hand muscles, supporting predictive coding accounts.

Observing action sequences elicits sequence-specific neural representations in frontoparietal brain regions

The paper investigates how observing action sequences shapes neural representations in frontoparietal brain regions through fMRI and observational practice.