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We studied simultaneous EMG and midline EEG responses, including over the cerebellum, in 10 standing subjects (35 ± 15 yr; 5 females, 5 males). Recordings were made following repeated taps to the sternum, stimuli known to evoke short-latency EMG responses in leg muscles, consistent with postural reflexes. EEG power had relatively more high-frequency components (>30 Hz) when recorded from electrodes over the cerebellum (Iz and SIz) compared with other midline electrodes. We confirmed a previous report using a similar stimulus that evoked short-latency potentials over the cerebellum. We showed clear midline-evoked EEG potentials occurring at short latency over the cerebellum (P23, N31, N42, and P54) and frontally (N28 and N57) before the previously described perturbation-evoked potential (P1/N1/P2). The P23 response correlated with the subsequent EMG response in the tibialis anterior muscles (r = 0.72, P = 0.018), confirming and extending previous observations. We did not find a correlation with the N1 amplitude. We conclude that early activity occurs from electrodes over the inion in response to a brief tap to the sternum. This is likely to represent cerebellar activity and it appears to modulate short-latency postural EMG responses. NEW & NOTEWORTHY: We studied the effects of a brief tap to the sternum in human subjects, known to evoke short-latency postural responses. Using an extended EEG recording system, we showed early evoked responses over the midline cerebellum, including the P23 potential, which correlated with the EMG responses in tibialis anterior, consistent with a cerebellar role in postural reflexes. The stimulus also evoked later EEG responses, including the perturbation potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across different epochs and societies, humans occasionally gather to jointly make music. This universal form of collective behavior is as fascinating as it is fragmentedly understood. As the interest in joint music making (JMM) rapidly grows, we review the state-of-the-art of this emerging science, blending behavioral, neural, and computational contributions. We present a conceptual framework synthesizing research on JMM within four components. The framework is centered upon interpersonal coordination, a crucial requirement for JMM. The other components imply the influence of individuals' (past) experience, (current) social factors, and (future) goals on real-time coordination. Our aim is to promote the development of JMM research by organizing existing work, inspiring new questions, and fostering accessibility for researchers belonging to other research communities., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Developments in cognitive neuroscience have led to the emergence of hyperscanning, the simultaneous measurement of brain activity from multiple people. Hyperscanning is useful for investigating social cognition, including joint action, because of its ability to capture neural processes that occur within and between people as they coordinate actions toward a shared goal. Here, we provide a practical guide for researchers considering using hyperscanning to study joint action and seeking to avoid frequently raised concerns from hyperscanning skeptics. We focus specifically on Electroencephalography (EEG) hyperscanning, which is widely available and optimally suited for capturing fine-grained temporal dynamics of action coordination. Our guidelines cover questions that are likely to arise when planning a hyperscanning project, ranging from whether hyperscanning is appropriate for answering one's research questions to considerations for study design, dependent variable selection, data analysis and visualization. By following clear guidelines that facilitate careful consideration of the theoretical implications of research design choices and other methodological decisions, joint action researchers can mitigate interpretability issues and maximize the benefits of hyperscanning paradigms., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press.)