Gamma Activity During Observation, Imagination, and Execution of Movements in Patients with Epilepsy: Invasive Study

The mirror neuron system (MNS) is a key component in the neurophysiological mechanisms of social behavior. At the same time, the properties of the mirror neurons are very difficult to study using indirect methods such as fMRI and EEG. Also, invasive registration of neural activity in people is possible only in the case of serious medical interventions. This MNS study was conducted in patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy, and the gamma activity of local potentials in the frontal and temporal lobes was studied using depth invasive electrodes. The MNS activation was accompanied by increased gamma activity in the left inferior frontal gyrus, anterior insula, caudate nucleus, and in the right hippocampus. The degree of activity was related to the complexity of the hands movement.