Abstract
Previous ERP researches showed that structure-based action representation was faster-rising in early object processing stage, but more evanescent than function-based action representation whose activation maintained in semantic processing stage (Lee et al., 2018). But function-based action representation also activated in early object processing and maintain in semantic processing in object naming (Sim et al., 2015). It was unclear whether structure-based action representation still activated in early processing and decayed in semantic processing in object naming. Besides, it was uncertain whether the activation of two action representations is accompanied by mu rhythm desynchronization in sensorimotor area, which was observed in manipulable object process (Proverbio, 2012). With a priming paradigm, a hand action movie clip and a manipulable object were presented sequentially and participants were asked to name the object after an answer cue as accurately as possible. The hand actions, including structure- and function-based actions, were congruent or incongruent with the following objects. ERPs and ERD over central-parietal scalp were measured to examine brain activation in object naming. The results showed that: 1) in early processing, no action priming effect was found; in P300 window, only structure-based action priming effect was found: P300 amplitude was marginally significantly positive in congruent than that in incongruent condition; in semantic processing, bilateral structure-based action priming effects and right-lateral function-based action priming effects were found: N400 amplitude was significantly negative in congruent than in incongruent condition. 2) In addition, mu rhythm desynchronization was only found in function-based action representation over left central scalp. The results suggested that: 1) even though structure-based action representation did not activate in early processing, its activation was still faster than that of function-based action representation, and both maintained in semantic processing in object naming; 2) mu rhythm desynchronization in function-based action representation inferred distinct mechanism of two action representations.
Acknowledgement: This research was supported by the grant of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61632004, 61773379, and 61375009) and the grant of the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China in project Crossmodal Learning (NSFC61621136008/DFGTRR-169).