Action processing and mirror neuron function in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: an fMRI study.
Action processing and mirror neuron function in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: an fMRI study.
复制标题
DOI：
10.1371/journal.pone.0119862
复制
发表时间：
2015
期刊：
影响因子：
3.7
通讯作者：
Welsh RC
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Jelsone-Swain L;Persad C;Burkard D;Welsh RC
肌萎缩侧索硬化症(ALS)是一种高度衰弱且迅速致死的神经退行性疾病。有人认为社会认知可能会受到影响，例如心理理论(Tom)能力的损害。尽管有这些发现，但在这一领域的研究很少，而且缺乏对这种损害背后的神经机制的调查。19名肌萎缩侧索硬化症患者和18名健康对照参与了这项研究。由于镜像神经元系统(MNS)被认为与心理理论有关，我们首先实施了一个简单的动作-执行和观察任务来评估MNS的基本功能。其次，我们考察了理解他人行为的社会认知能力，这是心理理论的一个组成部分。在两个实验中，我们使用功能磁共振成像来评估两组之间的大胆活动差异。心理理论也是通过眼神阅读测试(RME)进行行为测量的。肌萎缩侧索硬化症患者在动作执行和观察任务中表现出更大的大胆活动，尤其是在整个右前皮质区域。这些区域包括右侧下盖体、运动前和初级运动区以及左侧顶叶下部。一项联合分析显示，在观察和行动执行条件下，患者组在整个MNS区域都有明显更多的共同激活体素。这些结果支持MNS在动作加工过程中的补偿性反应。在动作理解实验中，健康对照组的行为表现更好，随后在前额叶皮质和颞中回招募了更大的活动区。最后，动作理解表现能够将ALS患者分为高表现组和低表现组，从而区分RME表现。总而言之，这些数据表明，社会认知，特别是心理理论，可能会影响ALS患者的一部分。这种损害可能与MNS和其他与行动、处理和理解有关的区域的功能有关。并讨论了对未来研究的启示。
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a highly debilitating and rapidly fatal neurodegenerative disease. It has been suggested that social cognition may be affected, such as impairment in theory of mind (ToM) ability. Despite these findings, research in this area is scarce and the investigation of neural mechanisms behind such impairment is absent. Nineteen patients with ALS and eighteen healthy controls participated in this study. Because the mirror neuron system (MNS) is thought to be involved in theory of mind, we first implemented a straightforward action-execution and observation task to assess basic MNS function. Second, we examined the social-cognitive ability to understand actions of others, which is a component of ToM. We used fMRI to assess BOLD activity differences between groups during both experiments. Theory of mind was also measured behaviorally using the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test (RME). ALS patients displayed greater BOLD activity during the action-execution and observation task, especially throughout right anterior cortical regions. These areas included the right inferior operculum, premotor and primary motor regions, and left inferior parietal lobe. A conjunction analysis showed significantly more co-activated voxels during both the observation and action-execution conditions in the patient group throughout MNS regions. These results support a compensatory response in the MNS during action processing. In the action understanding experiment, healthy controls performed better behaviorally and subsequently recruited greater regions of activity throughout the prefrontal cortex and middle temporal gyrus. Lastly, action understanding performance was able to cluster patients with ALS into high and lower performing groups, which then differentiated RME performance. Collectively, these data suggest that social cognition, particularly theory of mind, may be affected in a subset of patients with ALS. This impairment may be related to functioning of the MNS and other regions related to action processing and understanding. Implications for future research are discussed.
登录
查看更多内容
影响因子：
2
作者：
Fiori, F.;Sedda, A.;Bottini, G.
通讯作者：
Bottini, G.
影响因子：
5.7
作者：
Babiloni, Claudio;Del Percio, Claudio;Eusebi, Fabrizio
通讯作者：
Eusebi, Fabrizio
影响因子：
3.6
作者：
Bak, Thomas H.;Chandran, Siddharthan
通讯作者：
Chandran, Siddharthan
影响因子：
2.4
作者：
Girardi, Alessandra;MacPherson, Sarah E.;Abrahams, Sharon
通讯作者：
Abrahams, Sharon
影响因子：
5.7
作者：
Caspers S;Zilles K;Laird AR;Eickhoff SB
通讯作者：
Eickhoff SB