Investigating the fundamental biological mechanisms underlying motor function and social cognition

Experimental studies of human behaviour and the difficulties experienced in developmental and neurodegenerative conditions have evidenced a relationship between social cognition and motor function. Current research findings imply an important concept: the mechanisms underlying certain socio-cognitive processes are integrated with information held by motor systems. However, the extent of the relationship is yet to be fully uncovered. For example, it is not known whether the relationship is present for the wide variety of abilities encapsulated within socio-cognitive and motor processes or whether specific mechanisms are involved. Further research is needed for the development of mechanistic explanations for co-occurring socio-cognitive and motor differences within the general population.

This interdisciplinary project at the University of Birmingham will integrate expertise in cognitive psychology, motor control and genetics from a number of research groups to elucidate the fundamental biological mechanisms that underpin covariation in social cognition and motor function. The project will be comprised of 3 approaches: (1) a battery of behavioural, cognitive and self-report measures combined with sophisticated statistical models to uncover the mechanisms underpinning shared variation in motor and socio-cognitive abilities, (2) the employment of novel measurement strategies utilising physiological measurements with hierarchical regression models to quantify the extent to which the relationship between socio-cognitive and motor ability is mediated by alexithymia, and (3) a genetic investigation comparing Autism Spectrum Disorder and Parkinson's Disease, two conditions in which motor and social differences are prevalent, in an attempt to uncover overlapping genetic and biological pathways to provide further insight into biological processes underlying the relationships observed.