(Mis)understanding mirror neurons

What do mirror neurons mirror?

Mirror neurons

The term mirror neurons originally referred to neurons in the ventral premotor cortex of macaque monkeys (area F5, Figure 1a) that have the particularity of responding both when the monkey performs a particular action (e.g., grasping a peanut) and when the monkey perceives another individual performing a similar action. More recently the term mirror has been extended to areas of the human brain...

Mirror neurons

Computational models of neural networks (structured by brain regions) homology monkey human Descending influences of evolved extensions on basic homologues

mirror neurons and observational learning

in past, the relationship between traditional learning theories and neurophysiological theories wasn’t a close relationship. recently, new findings in neurological sciences showed relatively simple neuron mechanisms for somewhat complicated learning events, for example observational learning, one of which is mirror neurons. these neurons show that how the brain registers the activity observed a...

Corticospinal mirror neurons

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 carryin...