scholarly journals Autism and the mirror neuron system: insights from learning and teaching

2014 ◽  
Vol 369 (1644) ◽  
pp. 20130184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giacomo Vivanti ◽  
Sally J. Rogers
Keyword(s):  
Social Learning ◽  
Mirror Neuron System ◽  
Mirror Neuron ◽  
Educational Practice ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Neuron System ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Positive Treatment ◽  
Learning From Others

Individuals with autism have difficulties in social learning domains which typically involve mirror neuron system (MNS) activation. However, the precise role of the MNS in the development of autism and its relevance to treatment remain unclear. In this paper, we argue that three distinct aspects of social learning are critical for advancing knowledge in this area: (i) the mechanisms that allow for the implicit mapping of and learning from others' behaviour, (ii) the motivation to attend to and model conspecifics and (iii) the flexible and selective use of social learning. These factors are key targets of the Early Start Denver Model, an autism treatment approach which emphasizes social imitation, dyadic engagement, verbal and non-verbal communication and affect sharing. Analysis of the developmental processes and treatment-related changes in these different aspects of social learning in autism can shed light on the nature of the neuropsychological mechanisms underlying social learning and positive treatment outcomes in autism. This knowledge in turn may assist in developing more successful pedagogic approaches to autism spectrum disorder. Thus, intervention research can inform the debate on relations among neuropsychology of social learning, the role of the MNS, and educational practice in autism.

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

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 160662 ◽  
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.

scholarly journals A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE INFLUENCE OF MIRROR NEURONS IN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina Salles de Andrade ◽  
Milena Pereira Pondé
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Mirror Neurons ◽  
Mirror Neuron System ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Mirror Neuron ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Neural Mechanisms ◽  
Neuron System ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of experimental studies performed to assess the role of mirror neurons in the pathophysiology of autism. Four papers reported that areas of mirror neurons (MN) were under-active in autistic patients, giving weight to the theory of MN as a cause of ASD. Three papers indicated that MN were activated during the proposed activities, advocating atypical activation of MN, but not necessarily hypoactivation of these areas. One of the articles reported that only part of the MN system or just those areas of interconnected neurons are dysfunctional in autism. Analysis of the selected studies showed a correlation between dysfunction of the mirror neuron system and the main symptoms of autism such as deficits in social cognition, complete absence or a reduction in the individual’s interaction with his/her social environment and a failure in the neural mechanisms of imitation.

Autism spectrum disorder

2015 ◽  
pp. 139-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Brüne
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Mirror Neuron System ◽  
Mirror Neuron ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Life History Strategies ◽  
Empirical Testing ◽  
Neuron System ◽  
Stereotyped Behaviours

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by social communication deficits, impaired social interaction, and restricted and stereotyped behaviours and interests. The typical onset is during early childhood. Behaviourally, people with ASD have difficulties in tolerating proximity. Insecure attachment is frequently observed. At the cognitive level, people with ASD have selective difficulties in mentalizing or ‘theory of mind’, possibly related to a dysfunctional mirror neuron system and alterations of the oxytocin system. Conversely, many with ASD (particularly those formerly diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome) have superior technical skills. It has been hypothesized that the brains of individuals with ASD are skewed to maleness, possibly linked to genomic imprinting of paternal genes. The preservation of genes that predispose to ASD may have undergone sexual selection fostering ‘slow’ life-history strategies. None of the evolutionary hypotheses on ASD is conclusive so far, but open to empirical testing.

scholarly journals Differential mirror neuron system (MNS) activation during action observation with and without social-emotional components in autism: a meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melody M. Y. Chan ◽  
Yvonne M. Y. Han
Keyword(s):  
Mirror Neuron System ◽  
Action Observation ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Mirror Neuron ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Social Emotional ◽  
Activation Patterns ◽  
Neuron System ◽  
The Right

Abstract Background Impaired imitation has been found to be an important factor contributing to social communication deficits in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It has been hypothesized that the neural correlate of imitation, the mirror neuron system (MNS), is dysfunctional in ASD, resulting in imitation impairment as one of the key behavioral manifestations in ASD. Previous MNS studies produced inconsistent results, leaving the debate of whether “broken” mirror neurons in ASD are unresolved. Methods This meta-analysis aimed to explore the differences in MNS activation patterns between typically developing (TD) and ASD individuals when they observe biological motions with or without social-emotional components. Effect size signed differential mapping (ES-SDM) was adopted to synthesize the available fMRI data. Results ES-SDM analysis revealed hyperactivation in the right inferior frontal gyrus and left supplementary motor area in ASD during observation of biological motions. Subgroup analysis of experiments involving the observation of stimuli with or without emotional component revealed hyperactivation in the left inferior parietal lobule and left supplementary motor during action observation without emotional components, whereas hyperactivation of the right inferior frontal gyrus was found during action observation with emotional components in ASD. Subgroup analyses of age showed hyperactivation of the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus in ASD adolescents, while hyperactivation in the right inferior frontal gyrus was noted in ASD adults. Meta-regression within ASD individuals indicated that the right cerebellum crus I activation increased with age, while the left inferior temporal gyrus activation decreased with age. Limitations This meta-analysis is limited in its generalization of the findings to individuals with ASD by the restricted age range, heterogeneous study sample, and the large within-group variation in MNS activation patterns during object observation. Furthermore, we only included action observation studies which might limit the generalization of our results to the imitation deficits in ASD. In addition, the relatively small sample size for individual studies might also potentially overestimate the effect sizes. Conclusion The MNS is impaired in ASD. The abnormal activation patterns were found to be modulated by the nature of stimuli and age, which might explain the contradictory results from earlier studies on the “broken mirror neuron” debate.

scholarly journals Differential role of the Mentalizing and the Mirror Neuron system in the imitation of communicative gestures

NeuroImage ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 81 ◽  
pp. 294-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.G. Mainieri ◽  
S. Heim ◽  
B. Straube ◽  
F. Binkofski ◽  
T. Kircher
Keyword(s):  
Mirror Neuron System ◽  
Mirror Neuron ◽  
Neuron System ◽  
Communicative Gestures
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