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Do imagined and executed actions share the same neural substrate?
Abstract
This paper addresses the issue of the functional correlates of motor imagery, using mental chronometry, monitoring the autonomic responses and measuring cerebral blood flow in humans. The timing of mentally simulated actions closely mimic actual movement times. Autonomic responses during motor imagery parallel the autonomic responses to actual exercise. Cerebral blood flow increases are observed in the motor cortices involved in the programming of actual movement (i.e. premotor cortex, anterior cingulate, inferior parietal lobule and cerebellum). These three sources of data provide converging support for the hypothesis that imagined and executed actions share, to some extent, the same central structures.
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“Studies have shown that imagined movement activates very wide areas of the brain, especially the pre-motor areas which are strongly linked to the autonomic and emotional centers (Decety, 1996; Fadiga et al., 1998; Oishi et al., 2000).”
From Somatic experiencing: using interoception and proprioception as core elements of trauma therapy (2015) · cites this paper as Decety, 1996
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Metadata
- Authors
- Decety, J.
- Venue
- Cognitive Brain Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1996-03
- Volume
- 3
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 87-93
- ISSN
- 0926-6410 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2009207558
- Cited by
- 643
- References
- 64
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 42 · 2022: 29 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 20 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 31 · 2016: 28 · 2015: 29 · 2014: 34 · 2013: 42 · 2012: 31
- FWCI
- 16.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Cognitive Brain Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Action Observation and Synchronization
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Motor Control and Adaptation
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Sport Psychology and Performance
- Keywords
- motor imagery, motor execution, shared neural substrates, mental chronometry, autonomic responses, cerebral blood flow, movement time, premotor cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, inferior parietal lobule, cerebellum, motor cortex
- MeSH terms
- Autonomic Nervous System, Brain, Cerebrovascular Circulation, Chronobiology Phenomena, Humans, Imagination, Motor Activity
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