Abstract
Controlling an event through one’s own action usually induces a sense of agency, a feeling that arises when an expected outcome matches the intention. The neural correlates of this feeling remain controversial however, as experimental manipulation of the action-outcome chain often introduces mismatch or prediction errors that strongly correlate with the sense of agency. Here, we took a different approach and manipulated the causal belief (self-attribution vs. computer-attribution) by external cues during matched visuo-motor tapping conditions. With magneto-encephalography, we studied the sense of agency from a network perspective, investigating in source space the modulation of local population activity and changes in functional connectivity with motor cortex. Our results show that during the belief of agency primary motor cortex (M1) shows stronger functional connectivity (mediated by the beta band) to inferior parietal lobe and right middle temporal gyrus (MTG). Furthermore, the local feed-forward activity (gamma band power) in extrastriate body area and MTG disappears with that belief. After changes in action context, left M1 shows stronger connectivity in the alpha band with right premotor cortex and left insular-temporal cortex a network that might support active inference in social action context. Finally, a better tapping performance in this rhythmic task was related to alpha power modulations in the bilateral cerebellum and bilateral fusiform body-area, with power suppression during a more precise performance. These findings highlight the role of multiple networks supporting the sense of agency by changing their relative contribution for different causal beliefs.
Highlights
Controlling an event through one’s own action usually induces a sense of agency, a feeling that arises when an expected outcome matches the intention
Studies using neuroimaging techniques have shed light on the functional architecture of networks underlying the sense of agency, identifying potential hubs such as posterior and inferior parietal lobe (IPL), cerebellum, ventral premotor and supplementary motor cortex (SMA), the insula, as well as posterior middle and superior temporal cortices (MTG, STG) and, extending to occipital, the extrastriate body area (EBA)
There was a significant reduction of power in bilateral temporal cortex and bilateral cerebrocerebellum (p < 0.05, permutation)
Summary
Controlling an event through one’s own action usually induces a sense of agency, a feeling that arises when an expected outcome matches the intention. A better tapping performance in this rhythmic task was related to alpha power modulations in the bilateral cerebellum and bilateral fusiform body-area, with power suppression during a more precise performance These findings highlight the role of multiple networks supporting the sense of agency by changing their relative contribution for different causal beliefs. Inference theory of the sense of agency assumes different hierarchical levels—and, eventually, time scales and neural networks27,28 —at which predictions and comparisons involved in the sense of agency are formed[5] These processes are weighted against each other to minimize prediction errors, and a balanced convergence across the levels results in an estimate of the most likely source of sensation[5,17,26]. Acting on a lower level, sensory attenuation seems to emerge already during action-selection -potentially via efference copies- and influences discrimination performance during action-outcome observation[31,32,33]
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