Mirror Neurons

What are Mirror Neurons?

• Mirror neurons are cells that fire when a monkey (or person?) performs an action or when it views another animal performing that same action

What are Mirror Neurons?• Located in conjunction with a frontoparietal action

planning network:– posterior inferior frontal

• pre-motor areas that represent impending actions

– inferior parietal• sensory area that integrates somatosensory, visual and auditory

signals

– These regions are densely interconnected

What are Mirror Neurons?

• Mirror neurons are in regions immediately adjacent to these frontal and parietal areas

• Motor properties of mirror neurons are same as “non-mirror” neurons but…

• Sensory properties are different– These cells do not fire when monkey sees a graspable object– They do fire when monkey sees another monkey (or a

person!) perform actions relative to objects

What can Mirror Neurons Represent?

• Some cells are precisely tuned to the specific actions– e.g. using two fingers to pick up an object

• Others are broadly tuned to any action that accomplishes the same goal– E.g. using any combination of hand and fingers to

pick up an object

What can Mirror Neurons Represent?

• Mirror neurons represent abstract actions and goals– Cells will not fire when grasping is pantomimed– Cells will fire when grasping is real and visible– Cells will also fire when grasping happens behind

an occluding screen, as long as the monkey has seen that there is an object to be grasped behind the screen!

What can Mirror Neurons Represent?

• Mirror neurons represent abstract actions and goals– Some mirror neurons will even fire in response to

the sound of an action being performed• e.g. the sound of breaking a peanut shell

What can Mirror Neurons Represent?

• Mirror neurons represent intended actions

Mirror Neurons

– "Our survival depends on understanding the actions, intentions and emotions of others."

» Dr. Rizzolatti

Mirror Neurons in Humans?

The neural circuitry of imitation• a ‘core circuit’ for

imitation

Mirror Neurons

• Development

Mirror Neurons in Humans

• Social Cognition

Mirror Neurons in Humans

• • The suppression of mu

occurs during observation and execution of motor activity – Begins in childhood

Waves of MuBy Amy Carson

Mirror Neurons Dysfunction in Autism

• Some evidence supports a theory (speculation?) that a dysfunction of the MNS underlies social isolation disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

Iacoboni & Dapretto (2006). The mirror neuron system and theconsequences of its dysfunction. Nature, 7, 942-951.