Properties of the EEG μ rhythm and its reactivity during the performance, observation, imitation, and auditory recognition of movements in children aged 4–14 years

Abstract

We studied the frequency and amplitude properties of the EEG μ rhythm in children (n = 38) aged 4–14 years under the condition of visual fixation (VF) on a video image of a computer mouse, as well as the parameters of its desynchronization during the tasks involving self-controlled performance, observation, imitation, and auditory recognition of the hand circular movements (SPM, OM, IM, and ARM, respectively) with a computer mouse. We observed age-related increment in the modal frequency of μ rhythm in loci C₃ and C_z. During the SPM process, a significant decrease in the amplitude of μ rhythm was found in loci C₃ (26.7%) and C_z (10.3%); during the OM, in locus C_z only (9.9%). The effects of the μ rhythm desynchronization during both self-paced and observed movements might be an evidence of well-developed neural matching mechanisms that provide the processes of performing and observing similar actions in children aged 4 to 14 years. During the IM, the desynchronization of μ rhythm was significant in loci C₃ (27.4%) and C_z (15.3%). We hypothesize that the statistically significant increase (from SPM to IM) in the depression of μ rhythm in locus C_z is likely to be an effect of a social gaming context common for the situations when children imitate the movements of adults. The index of desynchronization of μ rhythm under the studied conditions did not depend on the age of children. Possible relations of identified modulations of the μ rhythm to the activity of the mirror neuron system were also discussed.