EEG hyperscanning and behavioral synchronization during a joint action

摘要

Brain-to-brain coupling during cooperation is a core question of study on socialinteractions. The aim of the present study was to investigate the neural basis of interbraincooperation and the cognitive performance underlying the execution of jointactionsby using EEG coherence measures. Synchronicity of the cognitive variables(response times, RTs, and error rates, ERs) in response to an attentional task, intersubjectivecoherence analysis on EEG frequency bands, and correlational measuresbetween cognitive and brain activity were considered during some steps of progressivereinforcing conditions. Fifteen couples of subjects performed an attentional task in eighttemporal steps, stressing their good performance at the end of each step. The inducedfeedback affected both the cognitive performance and brain-to-brain coupling byincreasing behavioral and brain synchronization when a positive feedback wasfurnished to the participants for their performance. Secondly, about the corticalcontribution, high coherence effect was mainly observed when a positive reinforce wasproduced, but only for some low frequency bands within the prefrontal left area,compared to the right one. Thus, also a left lateralization effect was reportable. Finally,the cognitive and EEG coherence measures were shown to be correlated, with asignificant similar trend anchored to the progressive feedback.