School-aged children exhibit domain-specific responses to biological motion

Abstract

Prior studies have implicated the superior temporal sulcus region for processing various types of biological motion in children and adults. However, no previous research in children compared this activity to that involved in coherent, meaningful, non-biological motion perception to show specificity for biological motion processing. In this study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to explore which brain regions were specific for biological motion in 7-to 10-year-old children. We compared brain activity in response to biological motion by a biological figure (a walking human); biological motion by a non-biological figure (a walking robot); disorganized, nonbiological motion by a disjointed mechanical figure; and organized, non-biological motion by a grandfather clock. We identified a network of brain regions that had a greater response evoked by biological than by non-biological motion, including the superior temporal sulcus and mirror neuron regions. Additionally, we found a developmental change suggesting increasing specificity for biological motion with age in the superior temporal sulcus region. We discuss these results in the context of research and theory that has emphasized the important role of biological motion perception in the development of theory-of-mind abilities.

Oxytocin enhances the perception of biological motion in humans

“…These roles of the STS might be a converging point, because oxytocin modulates facial processing (Rimmele et al, 2009) and mentalization (Domes, Hein richs, Michel, et al, 2007), in addition to modulating biological motion perception. Carter and Pelphrey (2006) demonstrated that mentalization and the development of biological motion perception are closely related; this is consistent with the data discussed above.…”

Role of dorsal and ventral stream development in biological motion perception

“…The number of neuroimaging studies investigating BM perception in children is very limited and inconsistent. One study reported BM related neural activity in the pSTS that correlated positively with age in 7-10 year-old children [10]. For the same age group, activity in the pSTS related to perception of eye gaze shifts was reported in another study [11].…”

The visual perception of motion by observers with autism spectrum disorders: A review and synthesis

“…STSp activity becomes increasingly tuned to the perception of human movement relative to object movement in typical children (Carter & Pelphrey, 2006) but not in young observers with ASD (Pelphrey & Carter, 2008). Moore, Hobson, and Lee (1997) conducted the first behavioral studies of the visual perception of PLDs of human movement by observers with ASD (Table 2).…”