Watching Movies Unfold, a Frame-by-Frame Analysis of the Associated Neural Dynamics

Abstract Our lives unfold as sequences of events. We experience these events seamless, although they are composed individual images captured in between the interruptions imposed by eye blinks and saccades. Events typically involve visual imagery from real world (scenes), hippocampus is frequently engaged this context. It unclear, however, whether would be similarly responsive to unfolding that abstract imagery. Addressing issue could provide insights into nature its contribution event processing, with relevance for theories hippocampal function. Consequently, during magnetoencephalography (MEG), we had female male humans watch highly matched movie either scene image frames reflected world, or depicting patterns. examined evoked neuronal responses each frame along time course Only one difference two conditions was evident, viewing first events, detectable across frontotemporal sensors. Further probing using source reconstruction revealed greater engagement a set brain regions parietal, frontal, premotor, cerebellar cortices, largest change broadband (1–30 Hz) power scene-based Hippocampal reflect role registering recognizable context perhaps based on templates schemas. The hippocampus, therefore, may help very early on.