Task-dependent and distinct roles of the temporoparietal junction and inferior frontal cortex in the control of imitation

Jeremy Hogeveen; Sukhvinder S Obhi; Michael J Banissy; Idalmis Santiesteban; Clare Press; Caroline Catmur; Geoffrey Bird

doi:10.1093/scan/nsu148

Task-dependent and distinct roles of the temporoparietal junction and inferior frontal cortex in the control of imitation

Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2015 Jul;10(7):1003-9. doi: 10.1093/scan/nsu148. Epub 2014 Dec 5.

Authors

Jeremy Hogeveen¹, Sukhvinder S Obhi², Michael J Banissy², Idalmis Santiesteban², Clare Press², Caroline Catmur², Geoffrey Bird³

Affiliations

¹ Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada, Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths and Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, UK, Department of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK, and MRC Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychology Centre, King's College London and Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada, Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths and Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, UK, Department of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK, and MRC Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychology Centre, King's College London and Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK jeremy.hogeveen@northwestern.edu.
² Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada, Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths and Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, UK, Department of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK, and MRC Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychology Centre, King's College London and Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK.
³ Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada, Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths and Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, UK, Department of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK, and MRC Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychology Centre, King's College London and Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada, Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths and Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, UK, Department of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK, and MRC Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychology Centre, King's College London and Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK.

Abstract

The control of neurological networks supporting social cognition is crucially important for social interaction. In particular, the control of imitation is directly linked to interaction quality, with impairments associated with disorders characterized by social difficulties. Previous work suggests inferior frontal cortex (IFC) and the temporoparietal junction (TPJ) are involved in controlling imitation, but the functional roles of these areas remain unclear. Here, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) was used to enhance cortical excitability at IFC and the TPJ prior to the completion of three tasks: (i) a naturalistic social interaction during which increased imitation is known to improve rapport, (ii) a choice reaction time task in which imitation needs to be inhibited for successful performance and (iii) a non-imitative control task. Relative to sham stimulation, stimulating IFC improved the context-dependent control of imitation-participants imitated more during the social interaction and less during the imitation inhibition task. In contrast, stimulating the TPJ reduced imitation in the inhibition task without affecting imitation during social interaction. Neither stimulation site affected the non-imitative control task. These data support a model in which IFC modulates imitation directly according to task demands, whereas TPJ controls task-appropriate shifts in attention toward representation of the self or the other, indirectly impacting upon imitation.

Keywords: imitation; inferior frontal cortex; mimicry; mirror system; temporoparietal junction; transcranial direct current stimulation.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Attention / physiology
Choice Behavior
Female
Humans
Imitative Behavior / physiology*
Interpersonal Relations
Male
Mirror Neurons / physiology
Nerve Net / physiology
Parietal Lobe / physiology*
Prefrontal Cortex / physiology*
Reaction Time / physiology
Self Concept
Social Perception
Temporal Lobe / physiology*
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
Young Adult