Decoding familiar visual object categories in the mu rhythm oscillatory response

Bailey, Kerri M., Sami, Saber and Smith, Fraser W. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8016-5109 (2024) Decoding familiar visual object categories in the mu rhythm oscillatory response. Neuropsychologia, 199. ISSN 0028-3932

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Abstract

Whilst previous research has linked attenuation of the mu rhythm to the observation of specific visual categories, and even to a potential role in action observation via a putative mirror neuron system, much of this work has not considered what specific type of information might be coded in this oscillatory response when triggered via vision. Here, we sought to determine whether the mu rhythm contains content-specific information about the identity of familiar (and also unfamiliar) graspable objects. In the present study, right-handed participants (N=27) viewed images of both familiar (apple, wine glass) and unfamiliar (cubie, smoothie) graspable objects, whilst performing an orthogonal task at fixation. Multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) revealed significant decoding of familiar, but not unfamiliar, visual object categories in the mu rhythm response. Thus, simply viewing familiar graspable objects may automatically trigger activation of associated tactile and/or motor properties in sensorimotor areas, reflected in the mu rhythm. In addition, we report significant attenuation in the central beta band for both familiar and unfamiliar visual objects, but not in the mu rhythm. Our findings highlight how analysing two different aspects of the oscillatory response – either attenuation or the representation of information content – provide complementary views on the role of the mu rhythm in response to viewing graspable object categories.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: Data availability: Data will be made available on request.
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Norwich Epidemiology Centre
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Norwich Epidemiology Centre
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Mental Health
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Lifespan Health
Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > Cognition, Action and Perception
Depositing User: LivePure Connector
Date Deposited: 03 May 2024 14:32
Last Modified: 28 Sep 2024 00:00
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/95062
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2024.108900

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