Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Monkey do, Monkey See: The story of mirror neurons
I was watching the new version of Nova a little while back, called Nova Science Now, which consists of three short pieces rather than Nova's normal format of doing one big one. One of the stories was on the very interesting research being done on mirror neurons. To me, it sounded like one of the most important discoveries in neurosciences. Ever.
Very briefly, mirror neurons are neurons that fire when you perform certain tasks, but also when you watch someone else perform the exact same task. For example, when you carry a bunch of heavy boxes down a street, these neurons fire away. They also fire when you see someone do the exact same thing and therefore you attempt to help the person, are concerned for the person, wince at the heavy load etc. This also explains why you get so involved in a sports game. Your neurons actually think you're in there playing the game. This discovery would help explain human features like empathy, imitation learning, language learning etc.
More from Brain Connection.
Scientists have recently discovered that neurons in the premotor area that fire in preparation for upcoming movements also fire when we observe someone else carry out that action (Meltzoff and Prinz, 2002). Common brain regions thus process both the perception and production of a movement. The infant's observation of her parent's projecting tongue fires the premotor neurons that represent her tongue and this priming activates the related motor cortex neurons that project her tongue out in mimicry. We experience this mimicking phenomenon most commonly when we see someone yawn, and then typically have to stifle our own yawn. Since infants must learn many movements, they don't inhibit the mimicking of movements they observe. For them it's monkey see, monkey do (and it's interesting that the initial mirror neuron research was done on monkeys).
Scientists are also exploring the relationship between mirror neuron activity and our ability to imagine our own planned actions, be empathetic, and develop articulate speech. Mirror neurons may thus eventually help to explain many teaching and learning mysteries in which modeling provides children with an effective behavioral pattern to follow – and to explain disabilities (such as autism) in which children can't read the minds of others.
Here is an essay on the subject by the legendary Dr V.S.Ramachandran, which adds some evolutionary context to the discovery. You can also watch the full Nova segment here. I think all of use should read a great deal more about this since I have seen this being described at more then one place as the equivalent of Watson and Crick's dramatic appearance at the Eagle Pub.
The next time you throw your hands up in frustration at what the Indian cricket does best, you know there's a bloody good reason for your frustration.
Very briefly, mirror neurons are neurons that fire when you perform certain tasks, but also when you watch someone else perform the exact same task. For example, when you carry a bunch of heavy boxes down a street, these neurons fire away. They also fire when you see someone do the exact same thing and therefore you attempt to help the person, are concerned for the person, wince at the heavy load etc. This also explains why you get so involved in a sports game. Your neurons actually think you're in there playing the game. This discovery would help explain human features like empathy, imitation learning, language learning etc.
More from Brain Connection.
Scientists have recently discovered that neurons in the premotor area that fire in preparation for upcoming movements also fire when we observe someone else carry out that action (Meltzoff and Prinz, 2002). Common brain regions thus process both the perception and production of a movement. The infant's observation of her parent's projecting tongue fires the premotor neurons that represent her tongue and this priming activates the related motor cortex neurons that project her tongue out in mimicry. We experience this mimicking phenomenon most commonly when we see someone yawn, and then typically have to stifle our own yawn. Since infants must learn many movements, they don't inhibit the mimicking of movements they observe. For them it's monkey see, monkey do (and it's interesting that the initial mirror neuron research was done on monkeys).
Scientists are also exploring the relationship between mirror neuron activity and our ability to imagine our own planned actions, be empathetic, and develop articulate speech. Mirror neurons may thus eventually help to explain many teaching and learning mysteries in which modeling provides children with an effective behavioral pattern to follow – and to explain disabilities (such as autism) in which children can't read the minds of others.
Here is an essay on the subject by the legendary Dr V.S.Ramachandran, which adds some evolutionary context to the discovery. You can also watch the full Nova segment here. I think all of use should read a great deal more about this since I have seen this being described at more then one place as the equivalent of Watson and Crick's dramatic appearance at the Eagle Pub.
The next time you throw your hands up in frustration at what the Indian cricket does best, you know there's a bloody good reason for your frustration.
