Mirror neurons

1. unique type of neuron and they fire in response to personal action but also the actions of others

2. found in parts of the brain associated with social cognition, especially motor-related areas such as the inferior frontal premotor and inferior parietal cortices

what are mirror neurons?

1. what are they a unique type of and what do they fire in response to?

2. Where are they usually found?

• inferior frontal premotor

• inferior parietal cortices

What are the 2 parts of the brain called where mirror neurons are found in motor related areas?

1. Because they fire both in response to personal action as well as in response to the actions of others.

2. To interpret the other person’s intention and emotions and allows us to understand how a person may be feeling.

3. ToM and perspective-taking

4. Gallese and Goldman

How do motor neurons link to social cognition?

1. Why are mirror neurons unique compared to other neurons?

2. What does this allow a person to do?

3. What may mirror neurons also explain?

4. Which psychologists looked into this?

Rizzolatti et al

which psychologist discovered mirror neurons by studying monkeys’ brain activity?

1. Mirror neurons were the outcome of an accidental discovery by Rizzolatti et al via the study of macaque monkeys’ brain activity.

2. They discovered that when researchers reached for food, neurons began to fire off in the premotor cortex of monkeys that were observing this action. The same neurons were then active if the monkey imitated the action itself.

Discovery of mirror neurons

1. How were mirror neurons discovered?

2. What happened in the procedure of this discovery?

Gallese and Goldman

Which 2 psychologists looked at how motor neurons link to social cognition?

Dapretto et al

who did key research into mirror neurons and autism?

1. To examine mirror neuron ability in both autistic and non-autistic children.

2. 10 autistic children and 10 children with no diagnosis aged between 10-14.

3. 80 facial expressions representing 5 different emotions were shown for 2 seconds in a random sequence. fMRI scans were used as participants either observed or imitated the faces presented (counterbalanced).

4. Both groups of children observed and imitated the facial expressions. The autistic children showed no mirror neuron activity in the inferior frontal gyrus brain region.

Key research into mirror neurons and autism - Dapretto et al

1. What was the aim?

2. What was the sample?

3. What was the procedure?

4. What were the findings? (what did both groups of children do? what did the autistic children do)

1. There are differences in the neural pathways used by children with no diagnosis compared to autistic children.

2. The non-autistic children rely on their right hemisphere mirror neuron mechanism which allows them to directly understand the emotion, however, this mechanism is not engaged in those with autism.

Key research into mirror neurons and autism - Dapretto et al CONCLUSIONS

1. What were the conclusions? What are the differences between children with no diagnosis, and autistic children?

2. What were the conclusions? What happens in the brain for children without autism, and those with autism?

1. The broken mirror theory of ASD

2. Neurological deficits including dysfunction in the mirror neuron system

3. Struggle with imitating and understanding social behaviour in others

How do mirror neurons link to autism?

1. What theory was proposed?

2. What prevents a child developing their social cognition?

3. What does this mean that autistic people struggle with?

Ramachandran and Oberman

which psychologists proposed the broken mirror theory of ASD?

pars opercularis

an area in the brain responsible for meaning of speech and facial expression