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.

scholarly journals Involvement of the mirror neuron system and the mentalizing system during communicative gesture production: a meta-analysis

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Yang
Keyword(s):  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Mirror Neuron System ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Mirror Neuron ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Neuron System ◽  
Motor Representations ◽  
Gesture Production ◽  
Mentalizing System

Background. Hand gestures play an important role in face-to-face communication. Although studies have shown that the mirror neuron system and the mentalizing system are involved in gesture comprehension, evidence of how the two systems are activated during gesture production is scattered and the conclusion is unclear. Methods. To address this issue, the current meta-analysis used activation likelihood estimation (ALE) method to quantitatively summarize the results of previous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies on communicative gesture production. Eight studies were selected based on several criteria (e.g., using fMRI technique, involving healthy adults, using gesture production tasks, conducting whole-brain analysis, and reporting activation foci in the MNI or Talairach space). ALE was conducted to calculate the overall brain effects for gesture production, and subsequently the brain effects for gesture execution, planning, and imitation. Results. The meta-analysis results showed that overall both systems (inferior parietal lobule and medial cortical structures) were involved in gesture production. Further analyses indicated that the mirror neuron system and the primary motor cortex were selectively involved in gesture execution, whereas the menalizing system and the premotor cortex were selectively involved in gesture planning. In gesture imitation, significant effects were found in both systems. Discussion. These results suggest that the mirror neuron system and the mentalizing system play different roles during gesture production. The former may be involved in the processes that require the mapping between observed actions and motor representations or the retrieval of motor representations; whereas the later may be involved when the production tasks require understanding others’ mental states.

scholarly journals The Activation of the Mirror Neuron System during Action Observation and Action Execution with Mirror Visual Feedback in Stroke: A Systematic Review

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack J. Q. Zhang ◽  
Kenneth N. K. Fong ◽  
Nandana Welage ◽  
Karen P. Y. Liu
Keyword(s):  
Motor Cortex ◽  
Visual Feedback ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Mirror Neuron System ◽  
Action Observation ◽  
Mirror Neuron ◽  
Action Execution ◽  
Neuron System ◽  
Mu Suppression ◽  
Mirror Visual Feedback

Objective. To evaluate the concurrent and training effects of action observation (AO) and action execution with mirror visual feedback (MVF) on the activation of the mirror neuron system (MNS) and its relationship with the activation of the motor cortex in stroke individuals. Methods. A literature search using CINAHL, PubMed, PsycINFO, Medline, Web of Science, and SCOPUS to find relevant studies was performed. Results. A total of 19 articles were included. Two functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies reported that MVF could activate the ipsilesional primary motor cortex as well as the MNS in stroke individuals, whereas two other fMRI studies found that the MNS was not activated by MVF in stroke individuals. Two clinical trials reported that long-term action execution with MVF induced a shift of activation toward the ipsilesional hemisphere. Five fMRI studies showed that AO activated the MNS, of which, three found the activation of movement-related areas. Five electroencephalography (EEG) studies demonstrated that AO or MVF enhanced mu suppression over the sensorimotor cortex. Conclusions. MVF may contribute to stroke recovery by revising the interhemispheric imbalance caused by stroke due to the activation of the MNS. AO may also promote motor relearning in stroke individuals by activating the MNS and motor cortex.

scholarly journals No evidence for somatosensory attenuation during action observation of self-touch

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantina Kilteni ◽  
Patrick Engeler ◽  
Ida Boberg ◽  
Linnea Maurex ◽  
H. Henrik Ehrsson
Keyword(s):  
Visual Information ◽  
Mirror Neurons ◽  
Mirror Neuron System ◽  
Action Observation ◽  
Mirror Neuron ◽  
Body Part ◽  
Motor Command ◽  
Voluntary Action ◽  
Tactile Stimuli ◽  
Motor Representations

AbstractThe discovery of mirror neurons in the macaque brain in the 1990s triggered investigations on putative human mirror neurons and their potential functionality. The leading proposed function has been action understanding: accordingly, we understand the actions of others by ‘simulating’ them in our own motor system through a direct matching of the visual information to our own motor programs. Furthermore, it has been proposed that this simulation involves the prediction of the sensory consequences of the observed action, similar to the prediction of the sensory consequences of our executed actions. Here, we tested this proposal by quantifying somatosensory attenuation behaviorally during action observation. Somatosensory attenuation manifests during voluntary action and refers to the perception of self-generated touches as less intense than identical externally generated touches because the self-generated touches are predicted from the motor command. Therefore, we reasoned that if an observer simulates the observed action and, thus, he/she predicts its somatosensory consequences, then he/she should attenuate tactile stimuli simultaneously delivered to his/her corresponding body part. In three separate experiments, we found a systematic attenuation of touches during executed self-touch actions, but we found no evidence for attenuation when such actions were observed. Failure to observe somatosensory attenuation during observation of self-touch is not compatible with the hypothesis that the putative human mirror neuron system automatically simulates the observed action. In contrast, our findings emphasize a sharp distinction between the motor representations of self and others.

scholarly journals Involvement of the mirror neuron system and the mentalizing system during communicative gesture production: a meta-analysis

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Yang
Keyword(s):  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Mirror Neuron System ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Mirror Neuron ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Neuron System ◽  
Motor Representations ◽  
Gesture Production ◽  
Mentalizing System

Background. Hand gestures play an important role in face-to-face communication. Although studies have shown that the mirror neuron system and the mentalizing system are involved in gesture comprehension, evidence of how the two systems are activated during gesture production is scattered and the conclusion is unclear. Methods. To address this issue, the current meta-analysis used activation likelihood estimation (ALE) method to quantitatively summarize the results of previous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies on communicative gesture production. Eight studies were selected based on several criteria (e.g., using fMRI technique, involving healthy adults, using gesture production tasks, conducting whole-brain analysis, and reporting activation foci in the MNI or Talairach space). ALE was conducted to calculate the overall brain effects for gesture production, and subsequently the brain effects for gesture execution, planning, and imitation. Results. The meta-analysis results showed that overall both systems (inferior parietal lobule and medial cortical structures) were involved in gesture production. Further analyses indicated that the mirror neuron system and the primary motor cortex were selectively involved in gesture execution, whereas the menalizing system and the premotor cortex were selectively involved in gesture planning. In gesture imitation, significant effects were found in both systems. Discussion. These results suggest that the mirror neuron system and the mentalizing system play different roles during gesture production. The former may be involved in the processes that require the mapping between observed actions and motor representations or the retrieval of motor representations; whereas the later may be involved when the production tasks require understanding others’ mental states.

scholarly journals Frequency and topography in monkey electroencephalogram during action observation: possible neural correlates of the mirror neuron system

2014 ◽  
Vol 369 (1644) ◽  
pp. 20130415 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Coudé ◽  
R. E. Vanderwert ◽  
S. Thorpe ◽  
F. Festante ◽  
M. Bimbi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mirror Neurons ◽  
Mirror Neuron System ◽  
Action Observation ◽  
Mirror Neuron ◽  
Research Programme ◽  
Specific Marker ◽  
Frequency Bands ◽  
Central Regions ◽  
The Face ◽  
Specific Frequency

The observation of actions executed by others results in desynchronization of electroencephalogram (EEG) in the alpha and beta frequency bands recorded from the central regions in humans. On the other hand, mirror neurons, which are thought to be responsible for this effect, have been studied only in macaque monkeys, using single-cell recordings. Here, as a first step in a research programme aimed at understanding the parallels between human and monkey mirror neuron systems (MNS), we recorded EEG from the scalp of two monkeys during action observation. The monkeys were trained to fixate on the face of a human agent and subsequently to fixate on a target upon which the agent performed a grasping action. We found that action observation produced desynchronization in the 19–25 Hz band that was strongest over anterior and central electrodes. These results are in line with human data showing that specific frequency bands within the power spectrum of the ongoing EEG may be modulated by observation of actions and therefore might be a specific marker of MNS activity.

scholarly journals Movement initiation and grasp representation in premotor and primary motor cortex mirror neurons

eLife ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Jack Jerjian ◽  
Maneesh Sahani ◽  
Alexander Kraskov
Keyword(s):  
Mirror Neurons ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Action Observation ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Movement Control ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Reach To Grasp ◽  
Movement Initiation ◽  
Population Activity ◽  
Spinal Circuitry

Pyramidal tract neurons (PTNs) within macaque rostral ventral premotor cortex (F5) and (M1) provide direct input to spinal circuitry and are critical for skilled movement control. Contrary to initial hypotheses, they can also be active during action observation, in the absence of any movement. A population-level understanding of this phenomenon is currently lacking. We recorded from single neurons, including identified PTNs, in (M1) (n = 187), and F5 (n = 115) as two adult male macaques executed, observed, or withheld (NoGo) reach-to-grasp actions. F5 maintained a similar representation of grasping actions during both execution and observation. In contrast, although many individual M1 neurons were active during observation, M1 population activity was distinct from execution, and more closely aligned to NoGo activity, suggesting this activity contributes to withholding of self-movement. M1 and its outputs may dissociate initiation of movement from representation of grasp in order to flexibly guide behaviour.

scholarly journals Movement initiation and grasp representation in premotor and primary motor cortex mirror neurons

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerjian S.J. ◽  
Sahani M. ◽  
Kraskov A.
Keyword(s):  
Motor Cortex ◽  
Mirror Neurons ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Action Observation ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Movement Control ◽  
Reach To Grasp ◽  
Movement Initiation ◽  
Population Activity ◽  
Ventral Premotor Cortex

AbstractPyramidal tract neurons (PTNs) within macaque rostral ventral premotor cortex (F5) and primary motor cortex (M1) provide direct input to spinal circuitry and are critical for skilled movement control, but surprisingly, can also be active during passive action observation. We recorded from single neurons, including identified PTNs in the hand and arm area of primary motor cortex (M1) (n=189), and in premotor area F5 (n=115) of two adult male macaques, while they executed, observed, or simply withheld (NoGo) reach-to-grasp and hold actions. We found that F5 maintains a more sustained, similar representation of grasping actions during both execution and observation. In contrast, although some M1 neurons mirrored during the grasp and hold, M1 population activity during observation contained signatures of a withholding state. This suggests that M1 and its output may dissociates signals required for the initiation of movement from those associated with the representation of grasp in order to flexibly guide behaviour.Significance StatementVentral premotor cortex (area F5) maintains a similar representation of grasping actions during both execution and observation. Primary motor cortex and its outputs dissociate between movement and non-movement states.

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.

scholarly journals Motor Cortical Activity During Drawing Movements: Population Representation During Spiral Tracing

1999 ◽  
Vol 82 (5) ◽  
pp. 2693-2704 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel W. Moran ◽  
Andrew B. Schwartz
Keyword(s):  
Motor Cortex ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Prediction Interval ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Cortical Activity ◽  
Simultaneous Action ◽  
Emg Activity ◽  
Radius Of Curvature ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Population Vector

Monkeys traced spirals on a planar surface as unitary activity was recorded from either premotor or primary motor cortex. Using the population vector algorithm, the hand's trajectory could be accurately visualized with the cortical activity throughout the task. The time interval between this prediction and the corresponding movement varied linearly with the instantaneous radius of curvature; the prediction interval was longer when the path of the finger was more curved (smaller radius). The intervals in the premotor cortex fell into two groups, whereas those in the primary motor cortex formed a single group. This suggests that the change in prediction interval is a property of a single population in primary motor cortex, with the possibility that this outcome is due to the different properties generated by the simultaneous action of separate subpopulations in premotor cortex. Electromyographic (EMG) activity and joint kinematics were also measured in this task. These parameters varied harmonically throughout the task with many of the same characteristics as those of single cortical cells. Neither the lags between joint-angular velocities and hand velocity nor the lags between EMG and hand velocity could explain the changes in prediction interval between cortical activity and hand velocity. The simple spatial and temporal relationship between cortical activity and finger trajectory suggests that the figural aspects of this task are major components of cortical activity.

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