What is it about?
Before you can use a tool, you have to grasp it first. Is it possible to distinguish what you are going to grasp (tool or a non-functional object such as wooden branch) based solely on brain activity? In this paper we used a technique known as multi-voxel pattern analysis on functional neuroimaging data to check it.
Featured Image
Why is it important?
Previous studies involving tool use, although very well thought and painstakingly performed, underestimated the simple fact that the object in order to be used has to be grasped first. Utilizing planning functional grasp paradigm allows distinguishing separate phases (i.e., planning, grasping, performing) of the movement to account for this factor. Multi-voxel pattern analysis provides fine-grained, information decoding-based outcomes that helps to disentangle these particular intentional activities.
Perspectives
This article was intended to show the possible dissimilarities between canonical subtraction analysis and brain activity patter-based approach. The recommended way of interpreting the data is to look at them from different perspectives, being aware of the advantages and disadvantages of all of the utilized methods.
dr Mikolaj Buchwald
Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Center, PAS
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Decoding Brain States for Planning Functional Grasps of Tools: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Multivoxel Pattern Analysis Study, Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, September 2018, Cambridge University Press,
DOI: 10.1017/s1355617718000590.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
