The role of cortical sensorimotor oscillations in action anticipation

Dan Denis,Richard Rowe,A Mark Williams,Elizabeth Milne

doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.10.022

Dan Denis, Richard Rowe + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.10.022

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Journal: NeuroImage	Publication Date: Oct 13, 2016
Citations: 59	License type: cc-by

Affiliation: University of Sheffield, University of Utah

Abstract

The human mirror neuron system is believed to play an important role in facilitating the ability of athletes to anticipate the actions of an opponent. This system is often assessed with EEG by measuring event-related changes in mu (8–13Hz) sensorimotor oscillations. However, traditional channel-based analyses of this measure are flawed in that due to volume conduction effects mu and non-mu alpha activity can become mixed. This flaw means it is unclear the extent to which mu activity indexes the mirror system, as opposed to other processes such as attentional demand. As a solution to this problem, we use independent component analysis to separate out the underlying brain processes during a tennis-related action observation and anticipation task. We investigated expertise-related differences in independent component activity. Experienced tennis players (N=18) were significantly more accurate than unexperienced novices (N=21) on the anticipation task. EEG results found significant group differences in both the mu and beta (15–25Hz) frequency bands in sensorimotor components, with earlier and greater desynchronisation in the experienced tennis players. In particular, only experienced players showed desynchronisation in the high mu (11–13Hz) band. No group differences were found in posterior alpha components. These results show for the first time that expertise differences during action observation and anticipation are unique to sensorimotor sources, and that no expertise-related differences exist in attention modulated, posterior alpha sources. As such, this paper provides a much cleaner measure of the human mirror system during action observation, and its modulation by motor expertise, than has been possible in previous work.

Highlights

The extent to which future events can be predicted is a key component of situational awareness that can support skilled performance (Endsley, 2000, 1995)
We examined differences in mirror system activity during sportsrelated action observation prior to making an anticipatory judgment in experienced and less experienced tennis players
We found that group differences were observed only in sensorimotor component clusters, and not in clusters that reflected parietal alpha or visual activity in the occipital cortex

Summary

Introduction

The extent to which future events can be predicted is a key component of situational awareness that can support skilled performance (Endsley, 2000, 1995). In comparison to less experienced performers, experienced athletes have an extremely well developed repertoire of domain-specific actions and a superior ability to successfully anticipate the actions of opposing players based on movement kinematics (Rowe and McKenna, 2001; Savelsbergh et al, 2002; Williams et al, 2011). Prediction of the outcomes of others’ physical actions may be facilitated by a human mirror neuron system. This system is a network of brain structures that activate during both the execution and observation of goal-directed actions (Buccino et al, 2004; Molenberghs et al, 2012). Superior anticipation ability in professional basketball players is associated with greater activation of the motor cortex during observation of basketball free throws (Aglioti et al, 2008)

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