TY - JOUR

T1 - fMRI repetition suppression for familiar but not arbitrary actions with tools

AU - Valyear, Kenneth F

AU - Gallivan, Jason P

AU - McLean, D Adam

AU - Culham, Jody C

PY - 2012/3/21

Y1 - 2012/3/21

N2 - For humans, daily life is characterized by routine interaction with many different tools for which corresponding actions are specified and performed according to well-learned procedures. The current study used functional MRI (fMRI) repetition suppression (RS) to identify brain areas underlying the transformation of visually defined tool properties to corresponding motor programs for conventional use. Before grasping and demonstrating how to use a specific tool, participants passively viewed either the same (repeated) tool or a different (non-repeated) tool. Repetition of tools led to reduced fMRI signals (RS) within a selective network of parietal and premotor areas. Comparison with newly learned, arbitrarily defined control actions revealed specificity of RS for tool use, thought to reflect differences in the extent of previous sensorimotor experience. The findings indicate that familiar tools are visually represented within the same sensorimotor areas underlying their dexterous use according to learned properties defined by previous experience. This interpretation resonates with the broader concept of affordance specification considered fundamental to action planning and execution whereby action-relevant object properties (affordances) are visually represented in sensorimotor areas. The current findings extend this view to reveal that affordance specification in humans includes learned object properties defined by previous sensorimotor experience. From an evolutionary perspective, the neural mechanisms identified in the current study offer clear survival advantage, providing fast efficient transformation of visual information to appropriate motor responses based on previous experience.

AB - For humans, daily life is characterized by routine interaction with many different tools for which corresponding actions are specified and performed according to well-learned procedures. The current study used functional MRI (fMRI) repetition suppression (RS) to identify brain areas underlying the transformation of visually defined tool properties to corresponding motor programs for conventional use. Before grasping and demonstrating how to use a specific tool, participants passively viewed either the same (repeated) tool or a different (non-repeated) tool. Repetition of tools led to reduced fMRI signals (RS) within a selective network of parietal and premotor areas. Comparison with newly learned, arbitrarily defined control actions revealed specificity of RS for tool use, thought to reflect differences in the extent of previous sensorimotor experience. The findings indicate that familiar tools are visually represented within the same sensorimotor areas underlying their dexterous use according to learned properties defined by previous experience. This interpretation resonates with the broader concept of affordance specification considered fundamental to action planning and execution whereby action-relevant object properties (affordances) are visually represented in sensorimotor areas. The current findings extend this view to reveal that affordance specification in humans includes learned object properties defined by previous sensorimotor experience. From an evolutionary perspective, the neural mechanisms identified in the current study offer clear survival advantage, providing fast efficient transformation of visual information to appropriate motor responses based on previous experience.

KW - Adult

KW - Brain

KW - Brain Mapping

KW - Factor Analysis, Statistical

KW - Female

KW - Functional Laterality

KW - Hand

KW - Hand Strength

KW - Humans

KW - Image Processing, Computer-Assisted

KW - Inhibition (Psychology)

KW - Magnetic Resonance Imaging

KW - Male

KW - Oxygen

KW - Psychomotor Performance

KW - Recognition (Psychology)

KW - Young Adult

KW - Journal Article

KW - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

U2 - 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5270-11.2012

DO - 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5270-11.2012

M3 - Article

C2 - 22442087

VL - 32

SP - 4247

EP - 4259

JO - Journal of Neuroscience

JF - Journal of Neuroscience

SN - 0270-6474

IS - 12

ER -