Abstract

Biological motion stimuli represent the essence of locomotor behavior and activate two major brain systems. One system is active in mentalizing, where an individual ascribes goals and mental states to another's actions, and consists mainly of the superior temporal sulcus, medial prefrontal cortex, and amygdala. A second system, consisting of the anterior intraparietal sulcus and parts of premotor cortex, called the mirror system is active when an individual imagines, executes, or observes actions and is important for learning and imitation. The integrated activity of both systems allows an individual to interact with people and objects in everyday life.