Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41253841›Full record

ArticleNPJ science of learning2025

Neural signals gradually shift towards inferior frontal gyrus and long-term effects following facial imitation-based social learning.

Qi Liu, Siyu Zhu, Can Liu, Yanmiao Yang, Chunmei Lan, Xinwei Song, Benjamin Becker, Keith M Kendrick, Xinqi Zhou, Weihua Zhao

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in NPJ science of learning, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Qi LiuThe Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Siyu ZhuSchool of Sport Training, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, China.
Can LiuThe Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Yanmiao YangThe Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Chunmei LanApplied Psychology Department, School of Medicine, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, China.
Xinwei SongThe Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Benjamin BeckerThe State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Keith M KendrickThe Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Xinqi ZhouInstitute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China. zhxq@sicnu.edu.cn.
Weihua ZhaoThe Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China. zarazhao@uestc.edu.cn.

Funding

Humanity and Social Science Foundation of Ministry of Education of China 24YJC190046National Natural Science Foundation of China 32300905Sichuan Province Key Research and Development Project 2023YFWZ0003Special Fund for Basic Scientific Research of Central Colleges ZYGX2021J036
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Despite its complexity, social learning is widespread, with humans navigating social environments with ease. However, the spatiotemporal trajectory of brain changes during facial imitation-based social learning (FISL) remains unestablished. In this study, participants (N = 80) learned to imitate facial emotions across 16 sessions over one month, with mirror neuron system (MNS) activity measured via fNIRS at three timepoints. fMRI assessed long-term effects of FISL on social perception. Our findings revealed that positive FISL was facilitated by changing spatiotemporal pattern similarity within the MNS, enhancing initial imitative performance and accelerating later learning speed. As sessions increased, information flow shifted from MNS synergy toward greater inferior frontal gyrus dominance. Furthermore, long-term FISL enhanced emotional faces not scenes perception, with increased connectivity between MNS and social cognition regions (e.g., orbital frontal cortex). These results advance our understanding of the spatiotemporal dynamics of social learning, potentially informing neurorehabilitation approaches for social deficits through imitation-based interventions.

Identifiers

PMID41253841
PMCPMC12627568

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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.