The Extended Mirror Neuron Network

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Bonini
Keyword(s):  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Mirror Neurons ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Mirror Neuron ◽  
Inferior Parietal Lobule ◽  
Neuron Network ◽  
Social Functions ◽  
Cortical Areas ◽  
Parietal Lobule ◽  
Subcortical Regions

Mirror neurons (MNs) are a fascinating class of cells originally discovered in the ventral premotor cortex (PMv) and, subsequently, in the inferior parietal lobule (IPL) of the macaque, which become active during both the execution and observation of actions. In this review, I will first highlight the mounting evidence indicating that mirroring others’ actions engages a broad system of reciprocally connected cortical areas, which extends well beyond the classical IPL-PMv circuit and might even include subcortical regions such as the basal ganglia. Then, I will present the most recent findings supporting the idea that the observation of one’s own actions, which might play a role in the ontogenetic origin and tuning of MNs, retains a particular relevance within the adult MN system. Finally, I will propose that both cortical and subcortical mechanisms do exist to decouple MN activity from the motor output, in order to render it exploitable for high-order perceptual, cognitive, and even social functions. The findings reviewed here provide an original framework for envisaging the main challenges and experimental directions of future neurophysiological and neuroanatomical studies of the monkey MN system.

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.

Coding Observed Motor Acts: Different Organizational Principles in the Parietal and Premotor Cortex of Humans

2010 ◽  
Vol 104 (1) ◽  
pp. 128-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Jastorff ◽  
Chiara Begliomini ◽  
Maddalena Fabbri-Destro ◽  
Giacomo Rizzolatti ◽  
Guy A. Orban
Keyword(s):  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Inferior Parietal Lobule ◽  
Ventral Part ◽  
Social Ability ◽  
Video Clips ◽  
Parietal Lobule ◽  
A Site ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Organizational Principles ◽  
Motor Acts

Understanding actions of conspecifics is a fundamental social ability depending largely on the activation of a parieto-frontal network. Using functional MRI (fMRI), we studied how goal-directed movements (i.e., motor acts) performed by others are coded within this network. In the first experiment, we presented volunteers with video clips showing four different motor acts (dragging, dropping, grasping, and pushing) performed with different effectors (foot, hand, and mouth). We found that the coding of observed motor acts differed between premotor and parietal cortex. In the premotor cortex, they clustered according to the effector used, and in the inferior parietal lobule (IPL), they clustered according to the type of the observed motor act, regardless of the effector. Two subsequent experiments in which we directly contrasted these four motor acts indicated that, in IPL, the observed motor acts are coded according to the relationship between agent and object: Movements bringing the object toward the agent (grasping and dragging) activate a site corresponding approximately to the ventral part of the putative human AIP (phAIP), whereas movements moving the object away from the agent (pushing and dropping) are clustered dorsally within this area. These data provide indications that the phAIP region plays a role in categorizing motor acts according to their behavioral significance. In addition, our results suggest that in the case of motor acts typically done with the hand, the representations of such acts in phAIP are used as templates for coding motor acts executed with other effectors.

Functional Properties of Parietal Hand Manipulation–related Neurons and Mirror Neurons Responding to Vision of Own Hand Action

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 560-572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazutaka Maeda ◽  
Hiroaki Ishida ◽  
Katsumi Nakajima ◽  
Masahiko Inase ◽  
Akira Murata
Keyword(s):  
Motor Control ◽  
Visual Feedback ◽  
Mirror Neurons ◽  
Target Object ◽  
Lateral View ◽  
Inferior Parietal Lobule ◽  
Visual Responses ◽  
Video Clips ◽  
Parietal Lobule ◽  
Hand Action

Parietofrontal pathways play an important role in visually guided motor control. In this pathway, hand manipulation-related neurons in the inferior parietal lobule represent 3-D properties of an object and motor patterns to grasp it. Furthermore, mirror neurons show visual responses that are concerned with the actions of others and motor-related activity during execution of the same grasping action. Because both of these categories of neurons integrate visual and motor signals, these neurons may play a role in motor control based on visual feedback signals. The aim of this study was to investigate whether these neurons in inferior parietal lobule including the anterior intraparietal area and PFG of macaques represent visual images of the monkey's own hand during a self-generated grasping action. We recorded 235 neurons related to hand manipulation tasks. Of these, 54 responded to video clips of the monkey's own hand action, the same as visual feedback during that action or clips of the experimenter's hand action in a lateral view. Of these 54 neurons, 25 responded to video clips of the monkey's own hand, even without an image of the target object. We designated these 25 neurons as “hand-type.” Thirty-three of 54 neurons that were defined as mirror neurons showed visual responses to the experimenter's action and motor responses. Thirteen of these mirror neurons were classified as hand-type. These results suggest that activity of hand manipulation-related and mirror neurons in anterior intraparietal/PFG plays a fundamental role in monitoring one's own body state based on visual feedback.

scholarly journals Making Mirrors: Premotor Cortex Stimulation Enhances Mirror and Counter-mirror Motor Facilitation

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (9) ◽  
pp. 2352-2362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Catmur ◽  
Rogier B. Mars ◽  
Matthew F. Rushworth ◽  
Cecilia Heyes
Keyword(s):  
Mirror Neurons ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Mirror Neuron ◽  
Inferior Parietal Cortex ◽  
Multiple Regions ◽  
Motor Information ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Associative Account ◽  
Mirror Effects ◽  
Premotor Areas

Mirror neurons fire during both the performance of an action and the observation of the same action being performed by another. These neurons have been recorded in ventral premotor and inferior parietal cortex in the macaque, but human brain imaging studies suggest that areas responding to the observation and performance of actions are more widespread. We used paired-pulse TMS to test whether dorsal as well as ventral premotor cortex is involved in producing mirror motor facilitation effects. Stimulation of premotor cortex enhanced mirror motor facilitation and also enhanced the effects of counter-mirror training. No differences were found between the two premotor areas. These results support an associative account of mirror neuron properties, whereby multiple regions that process both sensory and motor information have the potential to contribute to mirror effects.

ERP adaptation provides direct evidence for early mirror neuron activation in the inferior parietal lobule

2014 ◽  
Vol 94 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Möhring ◽  
Emily S.L. Brandt ◽  
Bettina Mohr ◽  
Friedemann Pulvermüller ◽  
Andres H. Neuhaus
Keyword(s):  
Direct Evidence ◽  
Mirror Neuron ◽  
Inferior Parietal Lobule ◽  
Neuron Activation ◽  
Parietal Lobule

Language outcomes after resection of dominant inferior parietal lobule gliomas

2017 ◽  
Vol 127 (4) ◽  
pp. 781-789 ◽  
Author(s):  
Derek G. Southwell ◽  
Marco Riva ◽  
Kesshi Jordan ◽  
Eduardo Caverzasi ◽  
Jing Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Inferior Parietal Lobule ◽  
Language Function ◽  
Language Outcomes ◽  
Language Mapping ◽  
Language Deficits ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Parietal Lobule ◽  
Subcortical Regions ◽  
Glioma Resection

OBJECTIVEThe dominant inferior parietal lobule (IPL) contains cortical and subcortical regions essential for language. Although resection of IPL tumors could result in language deficits, little is known about the likelihood of postoperative language morbidity or the risk factors predisposing to this outcome.METHODSThe authors retrospectively examined a series of patients who underwent resections of gliomas from the dominant IPL. Postoperative language outcomes were characterized across the patient population. To identify factors associated with postoperative language morbidity, the authors then compared features between those patients who experienced postoperative deficits and those who experienced no postoperative language dysfunction.RESULTSTwenty-four patients were identified for analysis. Long-term language deficits occurred in 29.2% of patients (7 of 24): 3 of these patients had experienced preoperative language deficits, whereas new long-term language deficits occurred in 4 patients (16.7%; 4 of 24). Of those patients who exhibited preoperative language deficits, 62.5% (5 of 8) experienced long-term resolution of their language deficits with surgical treatment. All patients underwent intraoperative brain mapping by direct electrical stimulation. Awake, intraoperative cortical language mapping was performed on 17 patients (70.8%). Positive cortical language sites were identified in 23.5% of these patients (4 of 17). Awake, intraoperative subcortical language mapping was performed in 8 patients (33.3%). Positive subcortical language sites were identified in 62.5% of these patients (5 of 8). Patients with positive cortical language sites exhibited a higher rate of long-term language deficits (3 of 4, 75%), compared with those who did not (1 of 13, 7.7%; p = 0.02). Although patients with positive subcortical language sites exhibited a higher rate of long-term language deficits than those who exhibited only negative sites (40.0% vs 0.0%, respectively), this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.46). Additionally, patients with long-term language deficits were older than those without deficits (p < 0.05).CONCLUSIONSIn a small number of patients with preoperative language deficits, IPL glioma resection resulted in improved language function. However, in patients with intact preoperative language function, resection of IPL gliomas may result in new language deficits, especially if the tumors are diffuse, high-grade lesions. Thus, language-dominant IPL glioma resection is not risk-free, yet it is safe and its morbidity can be reduced by the use of cortical and subcortical stimulation mapping.

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