Reflections of Other Minds: How Primate Social Cognition Can Inform the Function of Mirror Neurons

Overview

Journal Curr Opin Neurobiol

Specialties Biology
Neurology

Date 2006 Mar 28

PMID 16564687

Citations 8

Authors

Derek E Lyons

Laurie R Santos

Frank C Keil

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Mirror neurons, located in the premotor cortex of macaque monkeys, are activated both by the performance and the passive observation of particular goal-directed actions. Although this property would seem to make them the ideal neural substrate for imitation, the puzzling fact is that monkeys simply do not imitate. Indeed, imitation appears to be a uniquely human ability. We are thus left with a fascinating question: if not imitation, what are mirror neurons for? Recent advances in the study of non-human primate social cognition suggest a surprising potential answer.

Citing Articles

Differences in neural activation for object-directed grasping in chimpanzees and humans.

Hecht E, Murphy L, Gutman D, Votaw J, Schuster D, Preuss T J Neurosci. 2013; 33(35):14117-34.

PMID: 23986247 PMC: 3756757. DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2172-13.2013.

Reconstructing constructivism: causal models, Bayesian learning mechanisms, and the theory theory.

Gopnik A, Wellman H Psychol Bull. 2012; 138(6):1085-108.

PMID: 22582739 PMC: 3422420. DOI: 10.1037/a0028044.

Process versus product in social learning: comparative diffusion tensor imaging of neural systems for action execution-observation matching in macaques, chimpanzees, and humans.

Hecht E, Gutman D, Preuss T, Sanchez M, Parr L, Rilling J Cereb Cortex. 2012; 23(5):1014-24.

PMID: 22539611 PMC: 3615349. DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhs097.

Mirror adaptation in sensory-motor simultaneity.

Watanabe M, Shinohara S, Shimojo S PLoS One. 2011; 6(12):e28080.

PMID: 22205937 PMC: 3244384. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0028080.

From monkey mirror neurons to primate behaviours: possible 'direct' and 'indirect' pathways.

Ferrari P, Bonini L, Fogassi L Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2009; 364(1528):2311-23.

PMID: 19620103 PMC: 2865083. DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2009.0062.

References

Hare B, Call J, Tomasello M . Do chimpanzees know what conspecifics know?. Anim Behav. 2001; 61(1):139-151. DOI: 10.1006/anbe.2000.1518. View

Horner V, Whiten A . Causal knowledge and imitation/emulation switching in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and children (Homo sapiens). Anim Cogn. 2004; 8(3):164-81. DOI: 10.1007/s10071-004-0239-6. View

Blakemore S, Frith C . The role of motor contagion in the prediction of action. Neuropsychologia. 2005; 43(2):260-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2004.11.012. View

Nagell K, Olguin R, Tomasello M . Processes of social learning in the tool use of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and human children (Homo sapiens). J Comp Psychol. 1993; 107(2):174-86. DOI: 10.1037/0735-7036.107.2.174. View

Flombaum J, Santos L . Rhesus monkeys attribute perceptions to others. Curr Biol. 2005; 15(5):447-52. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2004.12.076. View

Buccino G, Binkofski F, Fink G, Fadiga L, Fogassi L, Gallese V . Action observation activates premotor and parietal areas in a somatotopic manner: an fMRI study. Eur J Neurosci. 2001; 13(2):400-4. View

Tomasello M, Call J, Hare B . Chimpanzees understand psychological states - the question is which ones and to what extent. Trends Cogn Sci. 2003; 7(4):153-156. DOI: 10.1016/s1364-6613(03)00035-4. View

Craighero L, Bello A, Fadiga L, Rizzolatti G . Hand action preparation influences the responses to hand pictures. Neuropsychologia. 2001; 40(5):492-502. DOI: 10.1016/s0028-3932(01)00134-8. View

Umilta M, Kohler E, Gallese V, Fogassi L, Fadiga L, Keysers C . I know what you are doing. a neurophysiological study. Neuron. 2001; 31(1):155-65. DOI: 10.1016/s0896-6273(01)00337-3. View

10.

Rizzolatti G, Fogassi L, Gallese V . Neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the understanding and imitation of action. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2001; 2(9):661-70. DOI: 10.1038/35090060. View

11.

Rizzolatti G, Craighero L . The mirror-neuron system. Annu Rev Neurosci. 2004; 27:169-92. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.neuro.27.070203.144230. View

12.

Rizzolatti G, Fadiga L, Gallese V, Fogassi L . Premotor cortex and the recognition of motor actions. Brain Res Cogn Brain Res. 1996; 3(2):131-41. DOI: 10.1016/0926-6410(95)00038-0. View

13.

Fogassi L, Ferrari P, Gesierich B, Rozzi S, Chersi F, Rizzolatti G . Parietal lobe: from action organization to intention understanding. Science. 2005; 308(5722):662-7. DOI: 10.1126/science.1106138. View

14.

Gallese V, Fadiga L, Fogassi L, Rizzolatti G . Action recognition in the premotor cortex. Brain. 1996; 119 ( Pt 2):593-609. DOI: 10.1093/brain/119.2.593. View

15.

Whiten A, Custance D, Gomez J, Teixidor P, Bard K . Imitative learning of artificial fruit processing in children (Homo sapiens) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). J Comp Psychol. 1996; 110(1):3-14. DOI: 10.1037/0735-7036.110.1.3. View

16.

Fadiga L, Fogassi L, Pavesi G, Rizzolatti G . Motor facilitation during action observation: a magnetic stimulation study. J Neurophysiol. 1995; 73(6):2608-11. DOI: 10.1152/jn.1995.73.6.2608. View

17.

Kilner J, Paulignan Y, Blakemore S . An interference effect of observed biological movement on action. Curr Biol. 2003; 13(6):522-5. DOI: 10.1016/s0960-9822(03)00165-9. View

18.

Hare , Call , Agnetta , Tomasello . Chimpanzees know what conspecifics do and do not see. Anim Behav. 2000; 59(4):771-785. DOI: 10.1006/anbe.1999.1377. View