This study investigates the anatomical and functional characteristics of the Action Observation Network (AON), including subcortical and cerebellar structures, and cortico-subcortical connectivity, using ultra-high field (7T) MRI. The enhanced signal-to-noise ratio of 7T enables high-resolution exploration of brain organization. Three participants performed a 7T MRI protocol including structural scans (3D T1-weighted MPRAGE, 0.6mm isotropic voxel size) and fMRI series (GRE-EPI, 1mm isotropic resolution). Three fMRI runs were performed during an AO task, and two fMRI runs with a motor task for each hand (duration of each run 5’27’’). The paradigms were built according to a block-design scheme, with blocks of 15’’.  In the AO task,  conditions were: videos of grasping action, static object images, and fixation; in the motor task: hand opening-closing, object grasping, and rest. Data analysis followed a standard preprocessing pipeline. Additional acquisitions will be performed to confirm these preliminary results, but current results suggest detectability of subcortical activations even at the single-subject level, highlighting the benefits of increased field strength for more advanced investigations into complex brain networks. These preliminary findings suggest that 7T MRI enables detailed mapping of AON dynamics at millimetric resolution, with activations in deep grey matter nuclei and the cerebellum, offering new insights into cortico-subcortical interactions.

Acknowledgement

The study was funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU under the NRRP program – M4C2 Investment 1.3, Project “MNESYS” (code PE0000006), Cascade Funding Call (7T-ATHENA), and partially supported by the Italian Ministry of Health under the grant “RC 2024” to IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris.