role of mirror neurons

• What are mirror neurons?

  Nerves in the brain that are active when specific actions are performed or observed in others
• What do mirror neurons allow us to do?

  Observers to experience the action as if it were their own
• Where do the origins of the mirror neuron system come from?

  Research in macaque monkeys
• Who conducted experiments on mirror neurons in macaque monkeys and when?

  Giacomo Rizzolatti in the 1990's
• What did the team record in the experiments?

  Neuron activity when a monkey would perform an action, like reaching for a piece of food
• What did Rizzolatti find?

  The same neurons that fired when performing the activity would also fire when the monkeys observed someone else performing the same activity
• What may be an example of a mirror neuron system in humans?

  Neurons involved in producing facial expressions, fire when facial expressions are observed in others
• What do mirror neurons then allow us to?

  Allow us to experience the same feelings we identify in others
• Therefore, it is assumed that mirror neurons provide the foundation to what abilities?

  To understand and empathise with others (social cognition)
• Mirror neurons are believed to be responsible for what?

  Human ability to share understanding of intention and emotional experience
• What may deficits in social cognition be linked to?

  Problems in mirror neuron function
• What is the potential impact of mirror neuron deficits on social cognition?

  Problems in understanding others' perspectives
• Who conducted supporting evidence for mirror neurons?

  Haker et al. (2012)
• What did Haker et al. (2012) demonstrate?

  That an area of the brain believed to be rich in mirror neurons is involved in contagious yawning
• What is contagious yawning widely seen as a example of?

  Human empathy, the ability to perceive mental states in others
• How did Haker et al. (2012) study this?

  fMRI was used to assess brain activity in participants whilst they were stimulated to yawn by showing them films of others yawning
• What happened when participants yawned in response?

  Participants showed considerable activity in Brodmann's area 9
• What is Brodmann's area 9?

  An area in the right frontal lobe believed to be rich in mirror neurons
• Who is conducted supporting evidence into the role mirror neurons as an explanation of autism?

  Dapretto et al (2006)
• Who did Dapretto et al (2006) study?

  10 high-functioning autistic children and 10 normally functioning children aged between 10 and 14
• What did Dapretto et al (2006) present the children?

  80 facial expressions, representing 5 different emotions (anger, fear, happiness, neutrality and sadness) were presented for two seconds
• What was used to record the data in Dapretto et al's (2006) study?

  fMRI
• What did Dapretto et al (2006) find?

  The children with autism showed no mirror neuron activity in the inferior frontal gyrus brain region
• What negative correlation did Dapretto et al (2006) find?

  A negative correlation was found between activity in mirror neuron brain areas and the severity of the autism
• Why is evidence for mirror neurons in humans limited?

  Evidence for mirror neurons comes from fMRI scanning techniques, these identify activity levels in regions of the brain
• What does fMRI scanning not allow us to do?

  Measure activity in individual brain cells
• What would measuring activity in individual brain cells involve?

  Inserting electrodes in individual brain cells