Perception of Action 1 - PA 8

Question 1

developmental evidence for innate PAM (perception action mapping)

can seamlessly map visual representations of actions onto motor system

Answer 1

infants imitate facial expressions

Question 2

Active Intermodal Matching
(AIM)

Answer 2

• Neonates recognise
  equivalences between body
  transformations they see and
  those of their own body that
  they ‘feel’ themselves make

AIM involves:
* perception and action having independent
coding/representation
* A “specialist” module for imitation

Question 3

AIM vs other theories

Answer 3

AIM involves:
* perception and action having independent
coding/representation
* A “specialist” module for imitation

Other theories (IM and ASL) posit:
* Common coding for perception and action
* Imitation part of “generalist” processes for
motor control and learning

Question 4

Ideomotor theory

Answer 4

emphasises learning through experience. e.g. see consequence of own hand action

Ideomotor Theory suggests:

“We act because we anticipate how the world will change as a result of that action.”

Or more simply:

“To do something, I think of what will happen if I do it.”

Question 5

Dual route model of imitation

Answer 5

input action -> direct route leads to

visual analysis ->

long term semantic memory
(meaningful actions, stored in repetoire) ->
ST/WM ->
output action

OR
direct route

input to output. via Visuomotor/direct –
meaningless actions –
mirror neurones

Question 6

Mirror neurones

Answer 6

Same neurones
found to be
active when the
monkey
performed and
watched an
action

Question 7

MNs - General properties

Answer 7

Bimodal, visuo-motor
neurons (i.e., respond
to both visual and
motor stimuli)
* Discharge when
individual performs an
action and when they
observe the same
action performed by
another individual

Question 8

F5 contains 3-types of neurons (direct
evidence from monkeys):

Answer 8

– ‘action observation-related’ visuomotor
neurons (mirror neurons)
– motor neurons
– Canonical visuomotor neurons (also
called ‘object observation-related’
neurons)

Question 9

indirect evidence for human mirror neurons

Answer 9

• close link between perception and action
• behavioural
• brain imaging
• TMS

Question 10

direct evidence in humans for mirror neurons

Answer 10

Recording from neurons

Question 11

behavioural evidence for MNs

Answer 11

faster response when there is compatibility between observed and executed movements

Question 12

Human MNs – Brain Imaging
evidence

Answer 12

Somatotopic activation of premotor and parietal cortex
(Buccino et al, 2001)

areas correspond to
observations of actions of
different body parts

Question 13

Perception action overlap human MN evidence

Answer 13

Overlap in brain
activity between
imagined, observed
and executed
movements

Question 14

Human MNs - TMS EVIDENCE

Answer 14

Use motor evoked potentials to show that observing an
action produces increased motor excitability

Question 15

Human MNs – Direct recording

Answer 15

• Recorded from 1177 neurons in 21 patients
  undergoing surgery for intractable epilepsy
• They observed and executed grasping actions
  and facial gestures
• Action observation-related (‘mirror’) neurons
  found in medial frontal lobe (supplementary
  motor area; SMA) and medial temporal lobe
  (hippocampus)

Question 16

diff response in mirror neurons in mirror neurones

Answer 16

when observing action, some will respond with excitation, some with inhibition.

Question 17

Species-specific differences

human vs monkey

Answer 17

for human, action does not have to be goal-directed or contain object.
- meaningless movements are represented
* Action must be goal-directed (often involve actual
object)
* Cannot learn novel and complex acts (involve BA46
not present in monkey) – THEY DON’T IMITATE
* Rather than for imitation MNs may underpin
understanding intentions