Abstract Objects can be grasped in several ways due to their physical properties, the context
surrounding the object, and the goal of the grasping agent. The aim of the present study …

The widely known discovery of mirror neurons in macaques shows that premotor and parietal
cortical areas are not only involved in executing one’s own movement, but are also active …

Prehension, the capacity to reach and grasp objects, comprises two main components: reaching,
ie, moving the hand towards an object, and grasping, ie, shaping the hand with respect …

Previous research has provided evidence for a neural system underlying the observation of
another person's hand actions. Is the neural system involved in this capacity also important …

Recent evidence points to a role of the primary visual cortex that goes beyond visual processing
into high-level cognitive and motor-related functions, including action planning, even in …

Understanding other people's actions is a fundamental prerequisite for social interactions.
Whether action understanding relies on simulating the actions of others in the observers' …

Recognition of objects and their relations is necessary for orienting in real life. We examined
cognitive processes related to recognition of objects, their relations, and the patterns they …

To be able to interact with our environment, we need to transform incoming sensory information
into goal-directed motor outputs. Whereas our ability to plan an appropriate movement …

In 1979, Gibson first advanced the idea that the sight of graspable objects automatically
activates in the observer the repertoire of actions necessary to interact with them, even in the …

Humans are able to interact with objects with extreme flexibility. To achieve this ability, the
brain does not only control specific muscular patterns, but it also needs to represent the …