Can motor resonance be evoked by both static and dynamic components of observed movements?

The observation of movements done by others induces the subliminal activation of motor circuits (motor resonance, MR), reproducing the specific motor program encoding the same movements. Here we investigate whether both static and dynamic components of an observed action are effective in evoking a MR response. Single pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation was applied to the left primary motor cortex of 15 subjects, eliciting motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in the right flexor and extensor carpi radialis (FCR, ECR) muscles. MR-induced MEP amplitude modulation was sampled at different intervals during the observation of a single oscillation of a prone hand, starting in mid-flexion and continuing through a protracted full extension of the wrist. In the FCR, motor resonant MEP modulation showed the expected significant (p