Joint action: fMRI and Kinematic Analyses

联合动作神经科学是认知神经科学中一个令人兴奋的新领域，它将复杂运动模式、节奏同步和多体协调的分析结合在一起。然而，在这一领域很少研究的是参与联合行动的两个人之间有身体接触的情况。拟议的研究计划旨在利用两种互补的、最先进的技术：功能性核磁共振成像和运动捕捉来研究这一点。这项工作的一个主要重点将是分析作为这种联合运动的“领导者”和“追随者”之间的差异，以及感觉和运动因素对协调和同步的影响。***神经成像方法将用于在MRI扫描仪中检查个人的大脑，当他们与站在他们旁边的人通过手接触进行互动时。这项工作的一个关键目标将是检查作为这些关节运动的领导者（即发起者）和追随者（即响应者）之间的大脑差异。此外，我们将研究影响两个人之间协调程度的一系列感觉线索的神经效应——比如声音节拍——以及不同类型的运动模式和运动对协调的限制。***将进行运动分析，以检查全身关节运动的运动学方面，在一个性能实验室进行，该实验室配备了26台高分辨率运动捕捉摄像机，以及将运动捕捉数据与脑电图和生理记录相结合的能力。这项研究的主要目的是检验感官线索对两个人一起运动时的协调性的影响。三种感觉线索将被检查：声学（节拍器的节拍），视觉（感知伴侣的动作）和本体感受（来自身体接触的力量线索）。这项研究的目的是研究人们是如何在感官信号支持同步和与之相冲突的情况下保持动作同步的。例如，当每个人通过耳机听到不同节拍器的节拍时，两个人如何保持协调的动作？与神经成像工作一样，我们将研究领导对这些关节运动的影响，并研究领导者和追随者在运动参数和对感觉线索的反应方面的差异。***总的来说，这个研究项目将提供一种理解联合行动的新方法，包括在身体接触的情况下检查领导和各种感觉线索对协调的影响。神经影像学和运动学研究的并行应用将为关节运动的基本机制提供补充信息。* * * * * *

The neuroscience of joint action is an exciting new area within cognitive neuroscience, one that unites the analysis of complex movement patterns, rhythmic synchronization, and multi-body coordination. However, what has been little studied in this field are situations where there is physical contact between the two individuals engaged in joint action. The proposed research program aims to investigate this using two complementary, state-of-the-art technologies: functional MRI and motion capture. A major focus of this work will be in analyzing the differences between being a "leader" and a "follower" of such joint movements, as well as the influence of both sensory and motor factors on coordination and synchronization.***Neuroimaging methods will be used to examine the brains of individuals in an MRI scanner while they are interacting via hand contact with a person standing next to them. A key objective of the work will be to examine brain differences between being the leader (i.e., initiator) versus the follower (i.e., responder) of these joint movements. In addition, we will examine the neural effects of a host of sensory cues that influence the degree of coordination between the two individuals - such as an acoustic beat - as well as look at different types of movement patterns and motor constraints on coordination. ***Motion analysis will be carried out to examine the kinematic aspects of full-body joint movement, taking place in a performance laboratory furnished with 26 high-resolution motion capture cameras as well as the capacity to combine motion-capture data with electroencephalography and physiological recordings. The principal goal of the research will be to examine the effect of sensory cues on the coordination between two people moving together. Three categories of sensory cues will be examined: acoustic (a metronome beat), visual (perception of the partner's movements), and proprioceptive (force-cues coming from body contact). The aim of the research will be to examine how people are able to synchronize their movements with one another both when sensory cues support this synchronization and when they conflict with it. For example, how do two people maintain coordinated movement when each person hears a different metronome beat through headphones? As with the neuroimaging work, we will look at the effect of leadership on these joint movements, and examine how leaders and followers differ in both their movement parameters and their responsiveness to sensory cues.***Overall, this research program will provide a novel approach to understanding joint action, including examining the influences of leadership and a diversity of sensory cues on coordination during situations of physical contact. The parallel use of neuroimaging and kinematic studies will provide complementary information about the fundamental mechanisms underlying joint movement. ******