Mirror neuron activity during contagious yawning—an fMRI study

It has been suggested that the Rorschach human movement (M) response could be associated with an embodied simulation mechanism mediated by the mirror neuron system (MNS). To date, evidence for this hypothesis comes from two electroencephalogram studies and one repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation study. To provide additional data on this topic, the Rorschach was administered during fMRI to a sample of 26 healthy adult volunteers. Activity in MNS-related brain areas temporally associated with M responses was compared with such activity for other, non-M Rorschach responses. Data analyses focused on MNS regions of interest identified by Neurosynth, a web-based platform for large scale, automated meta-analysis of fMRI data. Consistent with the hypothesis that M responses involve embodied simulation and MNS activity, univariate region of interest analyses showed that production of M responses associated with significantly greater activity in MNS-related brain areas when compared with non-M Rorschach responses. This finding is consistent with the traditional interpretation of the M code.

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Poster #M177 LACK OF HABITUATION OF MIRROR NEURON ACTIVITY: STUDY USING TRANSCRANIAL MAGNETIC STIMULATION PARADIGMS

Schizophrenia Research ◽

10.1016/s0920-9964(14)70727-3 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 153 ◽

pp. S255

Author(s):

Hulegar A. Abhishekh ◽

Urvaksh M. Mehta ◽

Rakshathi Basavaraju ◽

Jagadisha Thirthalli ◽

Bangalore Gangadhar

Keyword(s):

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽

Magnetic Stimulation ◽

Mirror Neuron ◽

Neuron Activity

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Emotional valence modulates putative mirror neuron activity

Neuroscience Letters ◽

10.1016/j.neulet.2011.12.018 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 508 (1) ◽

pp. 56-59 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Peter G. Enticott ◽

Bronwyn A. Harrison ◽

Sara L. Arnold ◽

Kaitlyn Nibaldi ◽

Rebecca A. Segrave ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mirror Neuron ◽

Emotional Valence ◽

Neuron Activity

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The interpretation of mu suppression as an index of mirror neuron activity: past, present and future

Royal Society Open Science ◽

10.1098/rsos.160662 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. 160662 ◽

Cited By ~ 46

Author(s):

Hannah M. Hobson ◽

Dorothy V. M. Bishop

Keyword(s):

Mirror Neuron System ◽

Mirror Neuron ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Social Processes ◽

Neuron Activity ◽

Neuron System ◽

Mu Suppression ◽

Spectrum Disorders ◽

Robust Evidence

Mu suppression studies have been widely used to infer the activity of the human mirror neuron system (MNS) in a number of processes, ranging from action understanding, language, empathy and the development of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Although mu suppression is enjoying a resurgence of interest, it has a long history. This review aimed to revisit mu's past, and examine its recent use to investigate MNS involvement in language, social processes and ASDs. Mu suppression studies have largely failed to produce robust evidence for the role of the MNS in these domains. Several key potential shortcomings with the use and interpretation of mu suppression, documented in the older literature and highlighted by more recent reports, are explored here.

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