Neural mirroring during the observation of live and video actions in infants

Abstract Objective Previous infant studies investigated neural mirroring during the observation of live or video actions. However, both methods have their (dis)advantages and studies using one of these methods are not always directly comparable. Therefore, the present study directly compared neural mirroring activity in a video setting with a live setting in infants between 18 and 36 months old. Methods Central mu rhythm suppression was measured through EEG recordings during the observation and imitation of the same goal-directed and mimicked actions presented either on video or live. Results Results revealed significant mu suppression during action imitation in both settings but stronger mu suppression was observed in the live setting during this condition. Significant mu suppression during the observation of goal-directed actions and mimicked actions was only observed in the live setting. Conclusion This study revealed a different influence of video and live actions on neural mirroring activity in infants. Significance It is recommended to use live actions to investigate neural mirroring in young children.