When visual knowledge can modulate the motor cortex
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1
University of Verona, Italy
We aimed at unveiling any modulation of the motor system associated to the onlooker’s visual, but not motor, expertise of observed actions. Two groups of subjects were recruited, with different visual expertise on a particular kind of action, i.e. a dystonic movement. Group 1 (Naïf): 8 subjects without expertise in neurological diseases and without previous exposure to the view of dystonic movements. Group 2 (Neurologists): 8 qualified neurologists working in the movement disorder divisions and dealing with dystonic patients. Single-pulse TMS was applied over the left M1 and motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were recorded from the FDI, AMD and FCR muscles, while subjects observed the following stimuli: 1) static hand; 2) healthy writing; 3) dystonic writing; 4) grasping, presented with a blocked design and with random order across subjects. Each condition consisted of 12 trials. Analysis showed that naïf subjects had higher MEP amplitudes than neurologists only during observation of the dystonic writing. Higher activation in the FDI and FCR muscles were found in naïf subjects during observation of the dystonic compared to the healthy writing. Neurologists did not show different activation between the two writing conditions. Visual expertise can modulate motor cortex excitability during action observation.
Conference:
41st European Brain and Behaviour Society Meeting, Rhodes Island, Greece, 13 Sep - 18 Sep, 2009.
Presentation Type:
Poster Presentation
Topic:
Poster presentations
Citation:
Fiorio
M,
Cesari
P,
Carla-Bresciani
M,
Rodi
G,
Gambarin
M,
Fiaschi
A and
Tinazzi
M
(2009). When visual knowledge can modulate the motor cortex.
Conference Abstract:
41st European Brain and Behaviour Society Meeting.
doi: 10.3389/conf.neuro.08.2009.09.149
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Received:
09 Jun 2009;
Published Online:
09 Jun 2009.
*
Correspondence:
Mirta Fiorio, University of Verona, Verona, Italy, mirta.fiorio@univr.it