Reflections on the differential organization of mirror neuron systems for hand and mouth and their role in the evolution of communication in primates

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 38-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gino Coudé ◽  
Pier Francesco Ferrari
Keyword(s):  
Mirror Neurons ◽  
Mirror Neuron ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Social Signals ◽  
Sensorimotor Transformation ◽  
Motor Representation ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
Communicative Gestures ◽  
Neuroanatomical Data ◽  
And Control

Abstract It is now generally accepted that the motor system is not purely dedicated to the control of behavior, but also has cognitive functions. Mirror neurons have provided a new perspective on how sensory information regarding others’ actions and gestures is coupled with the internal cortical motor representation of them. This coupling allows an individual to enrich his interpretation of the social world through the activation of his own motor representations. Such mechanisms have been highly preserved in evolution as they are present in humans, apes and monkeys. Recent neuroanatomical data showed that there are two different connectivity patterns in mirror neuron networks in the macaque: one is concerned with sensorimotor transformation in relation to reaching and hand grasping within the traditional parietal-premotor circuits; the second one is linked to the mouth/face motor control and the new data show that it is connected with limbic structures. The mouth mirror sector seems to be wired not only for ingestive behaviors but also for orofacial communicative gestures and vocalizations. Notably, the hand and mouth mirror networks partially overlap, suggesting the importance of hand-mouth synergies not only for sensorimotor transformation, but also for communicative purposes in order to better convey and control social signals.

Intentionality of movement: Mirror neuron system and theory of mind

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 2113-2113 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.M. Borghi ◽  
F. Binkofski
Keyword(s):  
Mirror Neurons ◽  
Mirror Neuron System ◽  
Mirror Neuron ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Action Understanding ◽  
Imaging Studies ◽  
Motor Representation ◽  
Neuron System ◽  
State Of Mind ◽  
Additional Explanation

The ability to understand intentions of actions performed by others is one of the prerequisites for social interaction. This ability has been attributed to our capacity to mentalize others’ behaviour, by simulating or predicting their mental states that would cause that behaviour and make it comprehensible. Brain imaging studies revealed the so called “mentalizng network” including the pSTS/TPJ, the temporal poles and the medial prefrontal cortex. This network gets constantly activated anytime we try to take the perspective of others or try to simulate their state of mind. On the other hand the discovery of mirror neurons has provided an additional explanation for understanding of the content of actions. The functional properties of these neurons point out that action understanding is primarily based on a mechanism that directly matches the sensory representation of perceived actions with one's own motor representation of the same actions. We provide evidence that both systems interact closely during the processing of intentionality of actions. Thus mentalizing is not the only form of intentional understanding and motor and intentional components of action are closely interwoven. Both systems play an important role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.

Neuromuscular Control of Movement

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Neuromuscular Control ◽  
Complex Environments ◽  
Locomotor Rhythm ◽  
Motor Responses ◽  
Reflex Pathways ◽  
Local Reflex ◽  
Local Circuits ◽  
And Control

The control of movement is essential for animals traversing complex environments and operating across a range of speeds and gaits. We consider how animals process sensory information and initiate motor responses, primarily focusing on simple motor responses that involve local reflex pathways of feedback and control, rather than the more complex, longer-term responses that require the broader integration of higher centers within the nervous system. We explore how local circuits facilitate decentralized coordination of locomotor rhythm and examine the fundamentals of sensory receptors located in the muscles, tendons, joints, and at the animal’s body surface. These sensors monitor the animal’s physical environment and the action of its muscles. The sensory information is then carried back to the animal’s nervous system by afferent neurons, providing feedback that is integrated at the level of the spinal cord of vertebrates and sensory-motor ganglia of invertebrates.

scholarly journals What Happened to Mirror Neurons?

2021 ◽  
pp. 174569162199063
Author(s):  
Cecilia Heyes ◽  
Caroline Catmur
Keyword(s):  
Speech Perception ◽  
Motor Learning ◽  
Brain Stimulation ◽  
Mirror Neurons ◽  
Body Movement ◽  
Mirror Neuron ◽  
Causal Role ◽  
Action Understanding ◽  
Brain Areas ◽  
Visual Motor

Ten years ago, Perspectives in Psychological Science published the Mirror Neuron Forum, in which authors debated the role of mirror neurons in action understanding, speech, imitation, and autism and asked whether mirror neurons are acquired through visual-motor learning. Subsequent research on these themes has made significant advances, which should encourage further, more systematic research. For action understanding, multivoxel pattern analysis, patient studies, and brain stimulation suggest that mirror-neuron brain areas contribute to low-level processing of observed actions (e.g., distinguishing types of grip) but not to high-level action interpretation (e.g., inferring actors’ intentions). In the area of speech perception, although it remains unclear whether mirror neurons play a specific, causal role in speech perception, there is compelling evidence for the involvement of the motor system in the discrimination of speech in perceptually noisy conditions. For imitation, there is strong evidence from patient, brain-stimulation, and brain-imaging studies that mirror-neuron brain areas play a causal role in copying of body movement topography. In the area of autism, studies using behavioral and neurological measures have tried and failed to find evidence supporting the “broken-mirror theory” of autism. Furthermore, research on the origin of mirror neurons has confirmed the importance of domain-general visual-motor associative learning rather than canalized visual-motor learning, or motor learning alone.

Eye Movements and Mirror Neurons

2020 ◽  
pp. 89-103
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Iurato
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movements ◽  
Eye Movement ◽  
Universal Algebra ◽  
Natural Science ◽  
Mirror Neurons ◽  
Mirror Neuron System ◽  
Mirror Neuron ◽  
Phenomenological Theory ◽  
Neuron System ◽  
Movement Dynamics

Denotational mathematics, in the context of universal algebra, may provide algebraic structures that are able to formalize human eye movement dynamics with respect to Husserlian phenomenological theory, from which it is then possible to make briefly reference to some further relations with mirror neuron system and related topics. In this way, the authors have provided a first instance of fruitful application of socio-humanities (to be precise, philosophy and sociology) in exact/natural science used in formalizing processes.

scholarly journals Review of robotic manipulators and identification of the main problems

2018 ◽  
Vol 226 ◽  
pp. 02015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ksenia I. Goryanina ◽  
Aleksndr D. Lukyanov ◽  
Oleg I. Katin
Keyword(s):  
Sensory Information ◽  
Professional Service ◽  
Service Robots ◽  
Navigation Systems ◽  
Technical Problems ◽  
Industrial Enterprises ◽  
Intelligent Robots ◽  
Automation Systems ◽  
Mechanical Manipulators ◽  
And Control

One of the main elements of automation of industrial enterprises is the use of robotic systems consisting of mechanical manipulators and control systems. In recent years, the market of service robotics has been actively developing. The main part of the market of professional service robots in value terms is occupied by medical devices. Agriculture and logistics are also actively developing areas. The success of the automation systems implementation depends on the solution of complex scientific and technical problems, primarily in the following areas: machine vision; sensor networks; navigation systems. Thus, one of the fundamental problems, the solution of which largely depends on the success in creating the perfect adaptive and intelligent robots, is the use of such types of sensors of sensory information, which allow obtaining a sufficiently large amount of information about the problem environment in a short time. This is a problem of creating means of perception.

Mirror Neurons and Film Studies

Projections ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 21-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malcolm Turvey
Keyword(s):  
Human Behavior ◽  
Philosophy Of Mind ◽  
Mirror Neurons ◽  
Film Studies ◽  
Mirror Neuron ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Recent Application ◽  
Empathic Response

This article surveys some of the major criticisms of mirror neuron explanations of human behavior within neuroscience and philosophy of mind. It then shows how these criticisms pertain to the recent application of mirror neuron research to account for some of our responses to movies, particularly our empathic response to film characters and our putative simulation of anthropomorphic camera movements. It focuses especially on the “egocentric” conception of the film viewer that mirror neuron research appears to license. In doing so, it develops a position called “serious pessimism” about the potential contribution of neuroscience to the study of film and art by building upon the “moderate pessimism” recently proposed by philosopher David Davies. It also offers some methodological recommendations for how film scholars should engage with the sciences.

Relating the “mirrorness” of mirror neurons to their origins

2014 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
James M. Kilner ◽  
Karl J. Friston
Keyword(s):  
Social Communication ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Mirror Neurons ◽  
Selective Pressure ◽  
Mirror Neuron ◽  
Action Understanding ◽  
Neuron Function

AbstractEver since their discovery, mirror neurons have generated much interest and debate. A commonly held view of mirror neuron function is that they transform “visual information into knowledge,” thus enabling action understanding and non-verbal social communication between con-specifics (Rizzolatti & Craighero 2004). This functionality is thought to be so important that it has been argued that mirror neurons must be a result of selective pressure.

Finding ways to build children's sensory skills

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (10) ◽  
pp. 24-28
Author(s):  
Paula Brown
Keyword(s):  
Sensory Information ◽  
And Control

Paula Brown takes a look at the theory underpinning how children process sensory information and provides practical tips on helping them integrate their experiences and control their responses.

scholarly journals Corticospinal mirror neurons

2014 ◽  
Vol 369 (1644) ◽  
pp. 20130174 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Kraskov ◽  
R. Philipp ◽  
S. Waldert ◽  
G. Vigneswaran ◽  
M. M. Quallo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mirror Neurons ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Mirror Neuron System ◽  
Action Observation ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Mirror Neuron ◽  
Considerable Proportion ◽  
Emg Activity ◽  
Cortex Area ◽  
Similar Range

Here, we report the properties of neurons with mirror-like characteristics that were identified as pyramidal tract neurons (PTNs) and recorded in the ventral premotor cortex (area F5) and primary motor cortex (M1) of three macaque monkeys. We analysed the neurons’ discharge while the monkeys performed active grasp of either food or an object, and also while they observed an experimenter carrying out a similar range of grasps. A considerable proportion of tested PTNs showed clear mirror-like properties (52% F5 and 58% M1). Some PTNs exhibited ‘classical’ mirror neuron properties, increasing activity for both execution and observation, while others decreased their discharge during observation (‘suppression mirror-neurons’). These experiments not only demonstrate the existence of PTNs as mirror neurons in M1, but also reveal some interesting differences between M1 and F5 mirror PTNs. Although observation-related changes in the discharge of PTNs must reach the spinal cord and will include some direct projections to motoneurons supplying grasping muscles, there was no EMG activity in these muscles during action observation. We suggest that the mirror neuron system is involved in the withholding of unwanted movement during action observation. Mirror neurons are differentially recruited in the behaviour that switches rapidly between making your own movements and observing those of others.

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