ArticlePloS one2018
Directing visual attention during action observation modulates corticospinal excitability.
Article in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 38 citations in OpenAlex.
- What is the effect of bodily illusions on corticomotoneuronal excitability? A systematic review.PloS one · 2019Pooled it
- Glutamatergic modulation of transcranial direct current stimulation over the premotor cortex combined with peripheral nerve stimulation promotes observation-execution-related cortical excitability and motor performance.The Journal of physiology · 2026Trial
- Cortical hemodynamic responses during action observation with and without audiovisual stimuli: a randomized controlled experimental trial.Experimental brain research · 2026Trial
- Motor Intention Drives Corticospinal Facilitation during Interception Planning.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Action Observation Combined With Motor Imagery Training to Improve Motor Function in People With Stroke: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologies · 2025Review
- Predictable transcranial magnetic stimulation suppresses corticospinal excitability: a TMS experiment.Experimental brain research · 2025Article
- Shaping corticospinal pathways in virtual reality: effects of task complexity and sensory feedback during mirror therapy in neurologically intact individuals.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2024Article
- Enhancing motor imagery practice using synchronous action observation.Psychological research · 2024Review
- Water and brain function: effects of hydration status on neurostimulation with transcranial magnetic stimulation.Journal of neurophysiology · 2024Article
- Motor imagery drives the effects of combined action observation and motor imagery on corticospinal excitability for coordinative lower-limb actions.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Effect of Object on Kinesthetic Motor Imagery in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Study Based on Eye-Tracking Methodology.Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment · 2024Article
- Corticospinal excitability during observation of basketball free-throw movement: Effects of video playback speed and stimulus timing.PloS one · 2023Article
- Visual Attention and Motion Visibility Modulate Motor Resonance during Observation of Human Walking in Different Manners.Brain sciences · 2021Article
- The Corticospinal Excitability Can Be Predicted by Spontaneous Electroencephalography Oscillations.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2021Article
- Motor activation is modulated by visual experience during cyclic gait observation: A transcranial magnetic stimulation study.PloS one · 2020Article
- Parcellation-based tractographic modeling of the dorsal attention network.Brain and behavior · 2019Article
- Implicit development of gaze strategies support motor improvements during action encoding training of prosthesis use.Neuropsychologia · 2019Article
- Gaze and body cues interplay during interactive requests.PloS one · 2019Article
- Observing Without Acting: A Balance of Excitation and Suppression in the Human Corticospinal Pathway?Frontiers in neuroscience · 2018Article
- Screen Position Preference Offers a New Direction for Action Observation Research: Preliminary Findings Using TMS.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2018Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) research has shown that corticospinal excitability is facilitated during the observation of human movement. However, the relationship between corticospinal excitability and participants' visual attention during action observation is rarely considered. Nineteen participants took part in four conditions: (i) a static hand condition, involving observation of a right hand holding a ball between the thumb and index finger; (ii) a free observation condition, involving observation of the ball being pinched between thumb and index finger; and (iii and iv) finger-focused and ball-focused conditions, involving observation of the same ball pinch action with instructions to focus visual attention on either the index finger or the ball. Single-pulse TMS was delivered to the left motor cortex and motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were recorded from the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) and abductor digiti minimi muscles of the right hand. Eye movements were recorded simultaneously throughout each condition. The ball-focused condition produced MEPs of significantly larger amplitude in the FDI muscle, compared to the free observation or static hand conditions. Furthermore, regression analysis indicated that the number of fixations on the ball was a significant predictor of MEP amplitude in the ball-focused condition. These results have important implications for the design and delivery of action observation interventions in motor (re)learning settings. Specifically, providing viewing instructions that direct participants to focus visual attention on task-relevant objects affected by the observed movement promotes activity in the motor system in a more optimal manner than free observation or no instructions.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.