Mirror Neurons

• A neuron that fires when an animal acts and when the animal observes the same action performed by another

  Cell activation is the same as if we had carried out the action ourselves
• Mirror neurons are found in the somatosensory cortex of the parietal lobe
• Rizzolatti et al - Discovery

  • Investigated motor activity in monkeys - recording neurons' activity whilst monkeys reached for objects
  • While he was eating lunch, noticed some cells firing when monkeys saw him reach for food
  • Accidentally discovered neurons in the premotor cortex that fire when performing, and observing
• Mirror neurons measured in humans

  • 'Mu desynchronisations/suppresion' - difference between mu waves (EEG over sensorimotor cortex) or FMRI scans (highlights active regions)
  • Participants undergo scanning while a socioemotional task or observing/doing an action, and compare it to control task
• Role of MN - Intention

  Understanding mirror neurons has given us a whole new way of thinking about the way we understand each other's intentions - central to social cognition

  Gallese and Goldman (1998) suggested that mirror neurons respond not just to observed actions but to intentions behind behaviour

  • Rather than the view that we interpret people's actions with reference to our memory, Gallese and Godman suggested that we simulate other's actions in our motor system and experience their intentions using our mirror neurons
• Role of MN - Perspective taking

  If mirror neurons fire in response to others' actions and intentions this may give us a neural mechanism for experiencing, and hence understanding, other people's perspectives and emotional statements

  • Just as we can simulate intention by making judgements based on our own reflected motor response, this same information may allow us to interpret what others are thinking and feeling
• Role of MN - Autism

  If children on the autism spectrum can be shown to have a poor mirror neuron system then this may go a long way to explaining ASD

  Ramachandran and Oberman (2006) have proposed the 'broken mirror' theory of ASD

  • This is the idea that neurological deficits including dysfunction in the mirror neuron system prevent a developing child imitating and understanding social behaviour in others
  • Later, problems with the mirror neuron system lead to difficulties in social communication as children fail to develop the usual abilities to read intention and emotion