Predição da ação direcionada a objetos com valência emocional: um estudo eletroencefalográfico preliminar

Abstract

Action prediction has gained prominence in neuroscience due to its relevance for motor planning and therapeutic interventions grounded in neural simulation mechanisms (Kilner, Friston, & Frith, 2007). Empirical evidence indicates that emotionally valenced objects can modulate both perception and action, even in the absence of overt motor execution (Saunier et al., 2023). The present study aimed to investigate the effects of emotional valence on action prediction by combining behavioral and electroencephalographic (EEG) measures. Nine adults participated in the experiment, during which they watched videos depicting precision grasping movements directed toward objects with different emotional valences (pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral) while performing two tasks: temporal prediction and simple reaction time. Event related potentials (ERPs), root mean square (RMS) amplitude, signal slope, and behavioral measures (constant and variable error) were analyzed. The results revealed increased cortical activation during the prediction task, particularly in parietal regions, as well as greater temporal anticipation in response to unpleasant stimuli. These findings suggest that motor prediction is modulated by the emotional valence of objects, even in the absence of actual movement, reinforcing its relevance for therapeutic approaches based on cognitive and sensorimotor integration.