Predictive coding during action observation - an Electrocorticographic study

Predictive coding as a theoretical framework that has received much attention in recent years is often used to explain the mechanisms underlying various cognitive functions, especially during motor observation when prediction of others’ behavior is crucial for successful social interactions. The action observation network(AON) has been extensively studied and confirmed, but the interactions between the main regions of AON are still not well understood. Here we made use of the high spatial and temporal resolution of intracranial Electrocorticography (ECoG), to test the functions and interactions of the key nodes of AON including precentral, supramarginal and visual areas. We found more top-down beta oscillation from precentral to supramarginal during the observation of predictable actions while more bottom-up gamma oscillation from visual to supramarginal for unpredictable action s.These provide strong evidence to illustrate how our brain perceive and understand other people’s actions in a predictive manner.