Wk 7 - Mirror Neurons

Question 1

Three big claims about what behaviours mirror neurons explain

Answer 1

Understanding others’ actions
Imitation - “monkey see, monkey do”
Empathy, Theory of Mind - understanding others’ intentions and mental states through simulation

Question 2

Yawning is thought to link empathy and mirror neurons because…(x2)

Answer 2

Those rated as more empathetic are more susceptible to contagious yawning
Mirror neuron firing also makes you yawn

Question 3

The simulation theory for how we work out another’s internal states holds that…(x2)

Answer 3

“Put ourselves in their shoes”

Understand others’ through simulation of the same situation and mental state in our own mind

Question 4

The ‘theory theory’ for how we work out another’s internal states holds that…(x2)
And is based on the work of…(x2)

Answer 4

We make a rational evaluation of others’ situation, based on past experience/knowledge
ie we develop theories about how others feel when engaged in certain behaviours,
Gopnik & Meltzoff – learning through “theory revision”

Question 5

Rizzolatti established that mirror neurons in monkeys fire in (regions)…(x2)
When…(x1)

Answer 5

In the ventral premotor cortex and
Inferior parietal cortex
Observing and executing the same actions

Question 6

Mirror neurons represent the goals of actions in that…(x3)

Answer 6

Monkeys observing action of moving something to different place, or put the object in something, different neurons fire
Similarly, grasping to eat, or grasping to move location
Does not happen if movemnt doesn’t seem goal related

Question 7

Umilta et al (2008) demonstrated the goal-directed nature of mirror neurons in a study involving…(x3)
Finding…(x2)

Answer 7

Used pliers to pick up a peanut – two different ways
• One, like normal, squeeze to put heads together
• Others, crossed-over tips, so squeezing would separate them – need to pull handles apart to use
Same neuronal firing – not specific action, but the goal that matters
It’s the peanut-grasping neuron that fires, irrespective of slightly different actions

Question 8

The direct matching hypothesis refers to…

Answer 8

Perception of action
Mirror system automatically maps observed actions to the motor system
Direct link of visual to motor system
Means they’re responding to attention, as well as goals -
Appearing to map what I do onto what I see - automatic imitation

Question 9

What empirical evidence is there for mirror neurons in humans? (x6)
But, issues…(x2)

Answer 9

Epilepsy patients in surgery
Recorded from wherever electrodes were placed for pre-surgical planning
Found some things like look kind of mirror neuron-y…
Firing for observing and executing actions
Supplementary Motor Area - grasping actions
Entorhinal Cortex -facial expressions
Does not match brain regions with mirror neurons in monkeys – so maybe not mirror neurons
Can’t ethically go searching for them…

Question 10

Human mirror areas of brain are thought to be…(x4)

Answer 10

Inferior parietal cortex and
Inferior frontal gyrus – corresponds to monkey ventral premotor cortex
• Brodmann’s Area 44
• Broca’s Area - important for speech production

Question 11

TMS of motor cortex has supported direct matching hypothesis in that…(x3)

Answer 11

Applying TMS during observation of action led to
Increases motor cortex excitability, which is
Specific for the muscles involved in the observed action

Question 12

Kilner et al (2003) looked at interference effects in mirror neuron responses in a study involving…(x2)
Finding…(x1)
Which suggests that…(x2)

Answer 12

Looking at robot/someone opposite you
Have to copy movement, or do different one
Watching dissimilar actions of humans only interferes with your performance of the movement you’re supposed to be doing
Observed actions are automatically mapped to motor system, so
Can interfere with motor cortex activity executing actions

Question 13

Heyes (2005) has found interference effects in associative learning in s study involving…(x1)
Finding…(x3)

Answer 13

Human or robot hand opening and closing, as well as cartoon/CG representations of such
Slower to initiate movement (eg. hand opening) when viewing incompatible movement (eg. hand closing).
‘Automatic imitation’ of observed action conflicts with planned action – slower RT
Inconsistency interferes…

Question 14

fMRI studies of action observation generally report activation in…(x3)
Which provides indirect for human mirrors due to…

Answer 14

Inferior Parietal Cortex
Inferior Frontal Gyrus
Superior Temporal Sulcus
Correspondance with areas containing mirror neurons in monkeys

Question 15

fMRI studies of execution and observation report overlapping activation in…(x3)

Answer 15

Inferior parietal cortex
Premotor cortex (dorsal)
Inferior frontal gyrus

Question 16

Calvo-Merrino (2006) conducted a study into direct matching of observed actions onto existing motor skills involving…(x1)
Finding…(x2)

Answer 16

Male and female ballet dancers observed male and female specific moves
Observing skilled moves = greatest activation of mirror system (dorsal premotor and inferior parietal)
ie When males observe males, get opposite activation than when watching female

Question 17

Iacoboni concludes that the mirror-system is responsible for our capacity to imitate, base on his model of imitation involving…(x7)

Answer 17

Visual input of observed actions:
• Superior Temporal Sulcus (STS) - important area for visual processing of biological motion
• Relays to mirror neuron system
• Maps to motor plans in motor system
Motor system – plans for executed actions:
• Efference copy to STS
• Matches with visual input of observed actions

Question 18

Molenberghs et al (2010) looked at imitation and the mirror system in a study involving…(x5)
Finding…(x1)

Answer 18

Hand actions to represent eg hammering a nail, clicking a pen, firing a gun
Observation: Ps watch the video clips of actions
Imitation: Ps watched identical clips plus imitate actions
Word-cued execution: Ps shown one of six nouns associated with each action
Self-selected execution: Ps viewed a green cross at fixation, select their own action – without observation
Activation of superior temporal sulcus higher in imitation condition, others didn’t differ much

Question 19

Keysers and Gazzola have suggested that mirroring may also exist for sensations and emotions, based on…(x1)

Answer 19

Finding vicarious activity for actions, emotions, and sensations

Question 20

Keysers et al (2004) looked at motor response to emotional reactions, in study involving…(x3)
Finding/concluding…(x2)

Answer 20

Ps watched plane wing-tip either to the side or over top of island during fly-by;
Stick either touching bed or not when passing;
Stick either touching leg or not while passing
Found significantly higher activation when stick touched bed/leg, so
Parts of brain being activated by touch

Question 21

Frith conducted fMRI study into pain-related neural activity, involving…(x1)
Finding…(x3)

Answer 21

Comparison of women’s experience of pain with empathetic pain of male partner
Sensory areas, sensation of pain, NOT active during observed pain
Affective/emotional areas, unpleasantness of pain, active during both actual and observed pain
Shows a strong overlap between feeling and seeing

Question 22

Xu et al (2009) conducted a study into the mirroring of pain involving…(x1)
Finding/concluding…(x2)
But this was countered by…(x1)

Answer 22

Painful/non-painful picture of same and other race faces (poking with cotton bud or hypodermic)
No activation for other races
Arguing that mirror neuron effect, but race specific
Replication which also engendered group belonging, which concluded effects were ingroup-based

Question 23

Ramachandran argues that autism is a result of faulty mirror system due to…(x5)

Answer 23

Overlap with defecits of autism and claimed functions of mirror system:
Language, 
ToM
Empathy
Understanding others' mental states

Question 24

Cattaneo et al (2007) demonstrated the possibility of impaired mirror involvement in autism, in study involving…

Answer 24

Cup balanced on shoulder, reaching for food, then either in mouth or in cup
Brain activation in execution (the doing) very similar
But subtle difference in observation (the watching) results
Typically developing children
• Mouth opening muscles contract when observing “grasp to eat” actions
Autism Spectrum Disorder
• No equivalent muscle activity when observing

Question 25

There is no direct evidence for mirror neuron involvement in empathy because…(x4)

Answer 25

Mirror neurons are only action-related
No direct evidence for mirror neurons underlying empathy
Can study mirror neurons but not empathy in monkeys
Can study empathy but not mirror neurons in humans