The influence of prior intention on joint action: an fNIRS-based hyperscanning study

Motor performances of the same action are affected by prior intentions to move unintentionally, cooperatively or competitively. Here, a back-and-forth movement task combined with a motion capture system and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)-based hyperscanning technology was utilized to record both the behavioral and neural data of 18 dyads of participants acting in pairs [joint conditions: no-intention, cooperative (Coop) and competitive (Comp)] or alone (single conditions: self-paced and fast-speed). The results revealed that Coop or Comp intentions in the joint conditions significantly sped up motor performance compared with similar single conditions, e.g. shorter movement times (MTs) in the Coop/Comp condition than the self-paced/fast-speed condition. Hemodynamic response analysis demonstrated that stronger activities for all joint conditions than the single conditions in the premotor and the supplementary motor cortex (Brodmann area 6) were independent of variations of MTs, indicating that they might reflect more complex aspects of action planning rather than simple execution-based processes. The comparisons of joint conditions across distinct prior intentions before acting yielded significant results for both behavioral and neural measures, with the highest activation of the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) and the shortest MTs in the Comp condition considered to be implications for the top-down influence of prior intentions on joint performance.