Volume 13, Issue 2 p. 400-404

Action observation activates premotor and parietal areas in a somatotopic manner: an fMRI study

G. Buccino

G. Buccino

Istituto di Fisiologia Umana, Università di Parma, Via Volturno 39, I-43100 Parma, Italy

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F. Binkofski

F. Binkofski

Department of Neurology, Heinrich Heine University of Duesseldorf, 5 Moorenstrasse, D-40225, Duesseldorf, Germany

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G. R. Fink

G. R. Fink

Department of Neurology, Heinrich Heine University of Duesseldorf, 5 Moorenstrasse, D-40225, Duesseldorf, Germany

Institute of Medicine, Research Center Juelich GmbH, Germany

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L. Fadiga

L. Fadiga

Istituto di Fisiologia Umana, Università di Parma, Via Volturno 39, I-43100 Parma, Italy

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L. Fogassi

L. Fogassi

Istituto di Fisiologia Umana, Università di Parma, Via Volturno 39, I-43100 Parma, Italy

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V. Gallese

V. Gallese

Istituto di Fisiologia Umana, Università di Parma, Via Volturno 39, I-43100 Parma, Italy

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R. J. Seitz

R. J. Seitz

Department of Neurology, Heinrich Heine University of Duesseldorf, 5 Moorenstrasse, D-40225, Duesseldorf, Germany

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K. Zilles

K. Zilles

Institute of Medicine, Research Center Juelich GmbH, Germany

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G. Rizzolatti

G. Rizzolatti

Istituto di Fisiologia Umana, Università di Parma, Via Volturno 39, I-43100 Parma, Italy

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H.-J. Freund

H.-J. Freund

Department of Neurology, Heinrich Heine University of Duesseldorf, 5 Moorenstrasse, D-40225, Duesseldorf, Germany

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First published: 18 July 2008
Citations: 925
: Dr G. Rizzolatti, as above.
E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to localize brain areas that were active during the observation of actions made by another individual. Object- and non-object-related actions made with different effectors (mouth, hand and foot) were presented. Observation of both object- and non-object-related actions determined a somatotopically organized activation of premotor cortex. The somatotopic pattern was similar to that of the classical motor cortex homunculus. During the observation of object-related actions, an activation, also somatotopically organized, was additionally found in the posterior parietal lobe. Thus, when individuals observe an action, an internal replica of that action is automatically generated in their premotor cortex. In the case of object-related actions, a further object-related analysis is performed in the parietal lobe, as if the subjects were indeed using those objects. These results bring the previous concept of an action observation/execution matching system (mirror system) into a broader perspective: this system is not restricted to the ventral premotor cortex, but involves several somatotopically organized motor circuits.

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