Cited by 369Action Observation and SynchronizationFace Recognition and PerceptionVisual perception and processing mechanisms

Functional Anatomy of Biological Motion Perception in Posterior Temporal Cortex: An fMRI Study of Eye, Mouth and Hand Movements

Pelphrey, Kevin A., Morris, James P., Michelich, Charles R., Allison, Truett, McCarthy, Gregory·2005·Cerebral Cortex

Abstract

Passive viewing of biological motion engages extensive regions of the posterior temporal-occipital cortex in humans, particularly within and nearby the superior temporal sulcus (STS). Relatively little is known about the functional specificity of this area. Some recent studies have emphasized the perceived intentionality of the motion as a potential organizing principle, while others have suggested the existence of a somatotopy based upon the limb perceived in motion. Here we conducted an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment to compare activity elicited by movement of the eyes, mouth or hand. Each motion evoked robust activation in the right posterior temporal-occipital cortex. While there was substantial overlap of the activation maps in this region, the spatial distribution of hemodynamic response amplitudes differentiated the movements. Mouth movements elicited activity along the mid-posterior STS while eye movements elicited activity in more superior and posterior portions of the right posterior STS region. Hand movements activated more inferior and posterior portions of the STS region within the posterior continuing branch of the STS. Hand-evoked activity also extended into the inferior temporal, middle occipital and lingual gyri. This topography may, in part, reflect the role of particular body motions in different functional activities.

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1093/cercor/bhi064

Cites

60 of 60 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • The posterior superior temporal sulcus, involved in biological motion perception and socially relevant gaze cues, and the adjacent temporoparietal junction, involved in attributing beliefs to others, are critical for theory of mind.

    “Moreover, neuroimaging evidence also implicates the posterior superior temporal sulcus, which is involved in biological motion perception, 223,224 including socially relevant directional cues such as the eye gaze of others, 225,226 and the adjacent temporoparietal junction, which is involved in the attribution of beliefs to others, 227 as critical for ToM ability.7,228,229”
  • Specific regions in the medial prefrontal cortex and temporal cortex mediate empathic thoughts and collaborative behaviors.

    “This research suggests that specific regions in the medial prefrontal cortex and temporal cortex mediate empathic thoughts and collaborative behaviors.”

    From The human parental brain: In vivo neuroimaging (2011) · cites this paper as Pelphrey et al., 2005

  • Posterior insular circuitry, implicated in bodily sensory processes, may play a role in ASD-related abnormalities in sensory perception and integration.

    “For example, posterior insular circuitry, implicated in bodily sensory processes (79), may play a role in the ASD-related abnormalities in sensory perception and integration (80).”

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Pelphrey, K. A., Morris, J. P., Michelich, C. R., Allison, T., & McCarthy, G.
Affiliations
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
  • Duke University (US)
  • Yale University (US)
  • United States Department of Veterans Affairs (US)
Corresponding author
Pelphrey, Kevin A.
Venue
Cerebral Cortex
Published
2005-03-02
Volume
15
Issue
12
Pages
1866-1876
ISSN
  • 1047-3211 (ISSN-L)
  • 1460-2199
OpenAlex
W2166959524
Cited by
369
References
60
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 20 · 2014: 24 · 2013: 23 · 2012: 38
FWCI
31.28
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Cerebral Cortex (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Cognitive Neuroscience Society
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of Mental Health (MH-05 286, R01MH005286)
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (1 T32 HD40127, T32HD040127)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Action Observation and Synchronization
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Visual perception and processing mechanisms
Keywords
biological motion perception, superior temporal sulcus, eye movements, mouth movements, hand movement, somatotopic organization, intentionality, functional topography, inferior temporal gyrus, middle occipital gyrus, lingual gyrus
MeSH terms
Adult, Brain Mapping, Cognition, Eye Movements, Female, Hand, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Motion Perception, Mouth, Movement, Social Behavior, Temporal Lobe

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review