Abstract: PURPOSE: There are two action representations involved in object recognition: structure- and function-based action representations (Binkofski & Buxbaum, 2013). Previous researches showed that bilateral superior parietal lobe (SPL) and left inferior parietal lobe (IPL) were key neural regions for structure- and function-based action representations respectively (Sakreida et al, 2016). It was unclear whether SPL and IPL played distinct role in structure- and function-based action representations in refined object recognition (naming).
METHODS: 17 participants received 15 minutes 1 Hz inhibitory repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on left SPL, left IPL, and a control site, left occipital pole (OCC), in three days at one week interval. After each stimulation, participants completed same priming paradigm task, in which a hand action movie clip and a manipulable object were presented sequentially and participants were asked to name the object after an answer cue as fast and accurately as possible. The hand actions, including structure- and function-based actions, were congruent or incongruent with the following objects. The naming accuracy and reaction time were recorded.
RESULTS: Compare to OCC, inhibitory stimulation of left SPL and left IPL led to longer naming reaction time. It suggested that these regions were involved in object naming. However, both stimulations of left SPL and left IPL resulted in increasing function-based action prime effect, and disappearance of reverse structure-based action prime effect. It inferred that the neural basis of two action representations could be shared.
CONCLUSIONS: Both left SPL and left IPL contributed to structure- and function-based action representations.

Key words: structure-based action representation, function-based action representation, priming paradigm, rTMS