Abstract

1. We stimulated the motor cortex of normal subjects (transcranial magnetic stimulation) while they 1) observed an experimenter grasping 3D-objects, 2) looked at the same 3D-objects, 3) observed an experimenter tracing geometrical figures in the air with his arm, and 4) detected the dimming of a light. Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were recorded from hand muscles. 2. We found that MEPs significantly increased during the conditions in which subjects observed movements. The MEP pattern reflected the pattern of muscle activity recorded when the subjects executed the observed actions. 3. We conclude that in humans there is a system matching action observation and execution. This system resembles the one recently described in the monkey.

Keywords

Transcranial magnetic stimulationFacilitationStimulationMotor cortexNeuroscienceMotor systemPsychologyAction (physics)Motor activityCommunicationPhysicsMedicine

MeSH Terms

ArmElectromyographyEvoked PotentialsHandHand StrengthHumansMagneticsMotor CortexMovementMuscle ContractionMusclesPsychomotor Performance

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Publication Info

Year
1995
Type
article
Volume
73
Issue
6
Pages
2608-2611
Citations
2286
Access
Closed

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Cite This

Luciano Fadiga, Leonardo Fogassi, Giovanni Pavesi et al. (1995). Motor facilitation during action observation: a magnetic stimulation study. Journal of Neurophysiology , 73 (6) , 2608-2611. https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.1995.73.6.2608

Identifiers

DOI
10.1152/jn.1995.73.6.2608
PMID
7666169

Data Quality

Data completeness: 81%