Neural signatures of voluntary actions and the perception of action consequences
Event details
| Date | 18.09.2012 |
| Hour | 11:00 › 12:00 |
| Speaker |
Roy Mukamel, Ph.D. School of Psychological Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University |
| Location | |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
Performing an action entails both the implementation of motor commands and the perception of the corresponding sensory consequences. In my talk, I will describe electrophysiological and fMRI data obtained from human subjects examining neural activity related to these aspects of action execution. Previous studies using non-invasive techniques, have demonstrated signatures of neural activity during performance of voluntary actions that precede the actual movement by several hundreds of ms – well before the human subject is aware of his impending urge to perform the action. During my talk, I will discuss the dynamics of neural activity (spiking activity of individual neurons) recorded extra-cellularly from epileptic patients during performance of voluntary button presses. Our data demonstrate that neurons, mostly in frontal lobe regions display characteristic dynamics (both excitation and inhibition) that can be used to predict the impending movement several hundred of milliseconds in advance. I will also discuss neural activity related to passive observation of voluntary actions performed by others
(e.g. mirror neurons) and their anatomical distribution in the human brain. Our data support a much wider distribution of such functional characteristics than previously suggested by primate studies. Finally, I will describe an ongoing fMRI project in my lab examining activity in auditory cortex and its dependence on the identity of the performing agent. Our data suggest that activity in auditory cortex is modulated by motor cortex.
(e.g. mirror neurons) and their anatomical distribution in the human brain. Our data support a much wider distribution of such functional characteristics than previously suggested by primate studies. Finally, I will describe an ongoing fMRI project in my lab examining activity in auditory cortex and its dependence on the identity of the performing agent. Our data suggest that activity in auditory cortex is modulated by motor cortex.
Practical information
- Informed public
- Free
Organizer
- Center for Neuroprosthetic, Prof. O. Blanke