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Mirror Neurons & You

Julie Summers T.J. Koomen. Mirror Neurons & You. Discovery. Neuroscientist Giaccamo Rizzollati and his colleagues at the University of Parma, Italy discovered mirror neurons in 1995. It was an accidental discovery that occurred while conducting research on motor neurons in monkeys.

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Mirror Neurons & You

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  1. Julie Summers T.J. Koomen Mirror Neurons & You

  2. Discovery • Neuroscientist Giaccamo Rizzollati and his colleagues at the University of Parma, Italy discovered mirror neurons in 1995. • It was an accidental discovery that occurred while conducting research on motor neurons in monkeys. • Macaque Monkey’s ventral premotor cortical area

  3. What are Mirror Neurons? • Mirror Neurons are premotor neurons that are activated by the observation or performance of a behavior, internally firing/activating the motor neurons of the corresponding behavior. • They perform a kind of simulation of any observed behavior.

  4. Development • Crucial in accumulation of experience. • By watching another animal perform an action, an animal can emulate a task and potentially understand the intent behind the action. • Ontogeny- Many animals are programmed to imitate actions during development. • imprinting

  5. Once the certain minimal capacity for “imitation learning” and “culture” is achieved, the culture then places a selection pressure to develop additional mental traits; Thus, “theory of mind” behind human consciousness. Ex. Watching an action corresponding mirror neuron activated “reading” and understanding of action and the intentions causing it (Gallese & Goldman, 1998)  Ecology

  6. Ecology • There would be absolutely no need for a mirror neuron system if the animal that possessed them were solitary creatures. • Because of humans exceptional social nature, mirror neurons allow us to optimize our survival abilities against hostile environments through shared knowledge.

  7. Imitation learning ultimately causes culturally inherent characteristics. i.e. language production (mimicking) and language acquisition (tongue movements) Ritualizationof mirror neuron system: allows for progressive sophistication of input & output information to certain signal behaviors Examples: tool use, communication Macaque’s ventral premotor cortical area: potentially evolved as an area exercising high-level control over orofacial actions, including those related to communicative acts. Evolution

  8. Physiology & Homology • Activity commonly found in frontal lobe (premotor cortex-action) and parietal lobe (inferior parietal cortex-sensory) of humans • Brodmann 44—(pars opecularis) • covering part to Inferior Frontal Gyrus (44,45,47) • with Brodmann 45 (pars triangular) makes up Broca’s Area, known for speech production • Macaque’s ventral premotor cortical area Human’s ventral premotor cortex overlaps with Broca’s region

  9. Autism & Mirror Neurons • Recent research has shown people afflicted with autism may have deficiencies in their amount of mirror neurons or in their ability to function. • Social impairments result from the inability to learn from imitation; thus impairment in interaction and communication. • DSM IV-TR Diagnostic Criteria for Autism: • A). Qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following: • marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to regulate social interaction • failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level • a lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people (e.g., by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest) • lack of social or emotional reciprocity • B). Qualitative impairments in communication as manifested by at least one of the following: • delay in, or total lack of, the development of spoken language (not accompanied by an attempt to compensate through alternative modes of communication such as gesture or mime) • in individuals with adequate speech, marked impairment in the ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others • stereotyped and repetitive use of language or idiosyncratic language • lack of varied, spontaneous make-believe play or social imitative play appropriate to developmental level

  10. Is this what makes us HUMAN? • Other animals possess mirror neurons. • Our highly developed mirror neuron system allows us to perform more complicated forms of imitation. • A biological explanation for empathy? • Humanity’s great leap forward into civilization? • “Theory of Mind”- human consciousness

  11. Works Cited • http://www.interdisciplines.org/mirror/papers/4/4 • http://brainmind.com/NeuropsychologyDevelopment.html • http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v435/n7046/abs/nature03628.html;jsessionid=A6B19AFA8A5CE2E5CEEEFA656E2F15F5 (homology) • http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/ramachandran/ramachandran_p2.html • http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/overview_diagnostic_criteria.htm (autism) • http://www.apa.org/monitor/oct05/mirror.html

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