Predicting perceptual events activates corresponding motor schemes in lateral premotor cortex: an fMRI study

The ability to recognize sequential patterns of external events enables us to predict their future course and thus to plan and execute actions based on current perceptions and previous experiences. Here we show with functional magnetic resonance imaging that even in the absence of movement the prediction of sequential patterns activates brain areas involved in the representation of specific motor schemas. Particularly, the prediction of size engages premotor areas involved in hand movements (superior part of the ventrolateral premotor cortex), whereas the prediction of pitch engages premotor areas involved in articulation (inferiormost ventrolateral premotor cortex). The findings indicate that events are mapped onto somatotopically corresponding motor schemes whenever we predict sequential perceptions. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science (USA).