Neurons in various parts of the brain that activate when a person / monkey performs an action and alos when an individual performs that same action.
This means an observer's brain experiences the action of another as if it was their own.
Who first researched into mirror neurons?
Rizzolatti et al
Who was Rizzolatti et al?
Italian researchers who implanted electrodes into monkey's brain.
What were Rizzolatti et al measuring at the time?
The activity of individual neurons when the monkey performed motor actions.
What startling discovery did Rizzolatti et al find in 1992?
They discovered that when a monkey saw a person or another monkey performing an action, some of the same neurons activated in the motor areas of the monkey's brain as when that monkey performs the task themselves.
How did the researchers test what they had seen?
By getting the moneky to perform an action and noted which neurons fired. The monkey would then observe a person doing the same action.
What did the researchers find after multiple tests?
The same neuron fired when the monkey was performing the action and watching the action.
lots and lots of research has been done since and found the same thing.
What did these neurons become known as?
Mirror neurons
What can mirror neurons explain?
This can explain how motor behaviour is learnt. We can learn skilled behaviour from observing others.
What is an example of observed / learnt behaviour which mirror neurons can explain?
Language
How do we learn language?
We learn language by imitatingspeech sounds. This is likely to involve mirror neurons.
What evidence in humans supports mirror neurons?
Evidence for mirror neurons ha been found in a part of the human brain responsible for speech, Broca's area, lending support to this idea.
It is not definitive as electrodes can rarely be used in the human brain.
What can we encode?
We can encode intention as well as action; why a person is doing what they do.
What do our mirror neurons fire in response to?
Out mirror neurons fire in response to seeingsomeonecry, laugh etc.
By experiencing the firing of these mirror neurons what do we also become aware of?
intentions.
What might this understanding of intention through mirror neurons be essential for?
may be an essential part of a development of theory of mind and perspective taking.
Some researchers believe what develops due to mirror neurons?
Social cognition
We can experience emotion as if we are the person we are observing, what is this the beginning of?
empathy (feeling what they feel)
Who is an esteemed neuropsychologist involved in this area?
V. S. Ramachandran
What did V. S. Ramachandran say the development of mirror neurons has allowed us to do?
He says that the development of mirror neurons has allowed us to excel in social relationships, and that this may be the evolutionary basis for our success as species. It allows for understanding of intention, emotion and perspective.
Imitation: our neurons fire just like when we do the action.
Intention: This gives us an understanding of others' intentions.
Empathy: We can therefore understand others' emotions.
can lead to cooperation with each other.
What does human research into mirror neurons usually use?
fMRI, or EEG (ERP).
What differences in areas of the brain can be measured?
There are differences in the neuron activity of areas of the brain (not individual neurons) which can be measured.
What activities are compared in human mirror neuron research?
Activity at rest is compared to activity when watching someone else perform a function or performing it yourself.
What has activity at rest compared to watching someone else perform a function or performing it themselves allowed researchers to suggest?
It has provided some evidence that like monkeys, we have mirror neurons too.
What is measured in human EEG research?
mu desynchronisation.
What does mu refer to?
Atypeofbrain wave.
What happens when the brain is at rest?
When the brain is at rest, neurons in the sensorimotor cortex fire in synchrony, creating mu waves.
What happens in the brain when a person performs or observes an action?
the firing of these cells in the sensorimotor cortex become desynchronised.
What does the desynchronisation lead to?
Reduced mu power, compared to when cells were firing.
How is the action of mu power evidence of a human mirror neuron system?
This reduced mu power is seen both when an individual performs and when they observe an action.
What is the theory of autism involved in mirror neurons?
the broken mirror theory.
What is meant by the broken mirror theory?
Mirror neuron activity is not the same in autistic people as it is in normal people. These disorders are associated with problems with all social-cognitive abilities.
Who proposed the broken mirror theory?
Oberman and Ramachandran.
What could the broken mirror theory explain about autism?
Could explain why children later diagnosed with autism imitate adult behaviour less than other children and may go on to not fully develop the ability to read intention and understand emotion in others (empathy).
Where did the study looking at the applications to understanding autism take place?
University of California, San Diego.
What was the sample in the San Diego study?
10 males with Autism Spectrum Disorder who were "high functioning" and 10 age and gender matchedcontrol subjects.
What does it mean by "high functioning"?
Defined as having age-appropriate verbal comprehension and production and IQs above 80.
What data was collected in the two groups in the San Diego study?
Participants would do an action (task) and watch others do the same action. EEG data was collected and used to measure brain activity.