Ricerc@Sapienza

Mimicry of others' postures and behaviours forms an implicit yet indispensable component of social interactions. However, whereas numerous behavioural studies have investigated the occurrence of mimicry and its social sensitivity, the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms remain elusive. In this study, single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation was used to measure corticospinal facilitation during a naturalistic behaviour observation task adapted from the behavioural mimicry literature.

In order to accurately evaluate the induced E field distribution inside the brain due to a transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) procedure, a complete characterization of the stimulating source is needed. In this paper, a full experimental characterization of a typical TMS coil is given, providing spatial distribution of the generated B field as well as input impedance and waveform of the current. Measurements show a slight deviation in the field distribution with respect to the one coming from idealized coil models, particularly for what concerns symmetry.

Brain connectivity has been employed to investigate on post-stroke recovery mechanisms and assess the effect of specific rehabilitation interventions. Changes in interhemispheric coupling after stroke have been related to the extent of damage in the corticospinal tract (CST) and thus, to motor impairment. In this study, we aimed at defining an index of interhemispheric connectivity derived from electroencephalography (EEG), correlated with CST integrity and clinical impairment.