Respiratory function modulated during execution, observation, and imagination of walking via SII
Scientific Reports, vol. 11, pp. 23752
Abstract
The Mirror Neurons System (MNS) consists of brain areas active during actions execution, as well as observation-imagination of the same actions. MNS represents a potential mechanism by which we understand other's action goals. We investigated MNS activation for legs actions, and its interaction with the autonomic nervous system. We performed a physiological and fMRI investigation on the common neural structures recruited during the execution, observation, and imagination of walking, and their effects on respiratory activity. Bilateral SMA were activated by all three tasks, suggesting that these areas are responsible for the core of the MNS effect for walking. Moreover, we observed in bilateral parietal opercula (OP1, secondary somatosensory cortex-SII) evidence of an MNS subtending walking execution-observation-imagination that also modulated the respiratory function. We suggest that SII, in modulating the vegetative response during motor activity but also during observation-imagination, consists of a re-enacting function which facilitates the understanding of motor actions.
Authors 5
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Antonello Pellicano corresponding Aachen Division for Clinical and Cognitive Sciences Medical Faculty
Affiliation as printed
Division for Clinical and Cognitive Sciences, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstr. 17, 52074, Aachen, Germany. apellicano@ukaachen.de
Division for Clinical and Cognitive Sciences, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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Gianluca Mingoia Aachen
Affiliation as printed
RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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Christoph Ritter Aachen Brain Imaging Facility Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research (IZKF)
Affiliation as printed
Brain Imaging Facility, Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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Vita-Salute San Raffaele University · IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele
Affiliation as printed
Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
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Ferdinand Binkofski corresponding Aachen Division for Clinical and Cognitive Sciences Medical Faculty
Forschungszentrum Jülich · Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University
Affiliation as printed
Division for Clinical and Cognitive Sciences, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstr. 17, 52074, Aachen, Germany. fbinkofski@ukaachen.de
Institute for Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-4), Research Center Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany. fbinkofski@ukaachen.de
Jülich-Aachen-Research-Alliance (JARA), Jülich, Germany. fbinkofski@ukaachen.de
Division for Clinical and Cognitive Sciences, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
Institute for Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-4), Research Center Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
Jülich-Aachen-Research-Alliance (JARA), Jülich, Germany
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