Functional MRI responses to passive, active and observed touch in somatosensory and insular cortices of the macaque monkey.

摘要: Neurophysiological data obtained in primates suggests that merely observing others' actions can modulate activity the observer's motor cortices. In humans, it has been suggested these multimodal vicarious responses extend well beyond cortices, including somatosensory and insular brain regions, which seem to yield when witnessing actions, sensations, or emotions (Gazzola Keysers, 2009). Despite wealth of with respect shared action monkey system, whether cortices also during observation touch remains largely unknown. Using independent tactile fMRI localizers, we first mapped hand representations two male monkeys' primary (SI) secondary (SII) subsequent visual experiments, examined (1) a conspecific's being touched (2) human grasping mere touching an object another hand. Whereas functionally defined "tactile SI" SII" showed little involvement representing observed touch, for were found parietal area PFG, consistent recent observations humans (Chan Baker, 2015). Interestingly, more anterior portion SII, posterior cortex, both responded monkeys performed active movements, yielded different instances observation.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Common coding one's own seems be widespread brain. Although is currently unclear what extent even less known about presence similar cortex. We therefore localized using investigated regions while various touch. SI did not elicit observation, addition PFG all