MIRROR NEURONS

NURULLAH ALINAK

OUTLINE

• Definiton of neuron• A new discovery• What do mirror neurons do?• Function of mirror neurons• Conclusion• References

Neurons

• Basis of the nervous system (nerve cells)• Neurons transmit signals throughout the body (Action p.)• Lets make practical• If you need to send a signal• Your brain needs to tell hand(it sends via neurons)• Touch a hot stove• You can realize it hurts• Faster than you say OUCH!

Neurons (cont.)

• Three types of neurons– Sensory neurons– Motor neurons– Inter neurons

• Central Nervous System

Discovery of mirror neurons

• Did you ever have that sensation?• Scientist wondered why !• Over twenty years ago by Rizzolatti• While observing monkeys, found a new

discovery.• “Monkey see, monkey do”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq1-ZxV9Dc4

Function of mirror neurons

• Diverse processes– Understanding speech– Understanding meaning of actions

– Understanding others’ minds.

Understanding speech

• The mirror neuron system probably plays some role in how we understand other people’s speech, but it’s likely that this role is much smaller than has been previously claimed.

• It’s unlikely that mirror neurons would be causal factors in our ability to understand speech

• Mirror neuron-related processes may only contribute to understanding what another person is trying to say if the room is very noisy or there are other complications to normal speech perception conditions.

Understanding meaning of actions

• Mirror neurons are believed to play a critical role in how and why we understand other people’s actions

• However, contrary to what some mirror neuron proponents have suggested, doing isn’t required for understanding

• In fact, neuro imaging data demonstrate that the actions we ourselves have the most experience doing actually show less mirror neuron activity

• Such findings suggest a need to reappraise the role of mirror neurons in guiding how we understand actions.

Understanding others’ minds• One of the most powerful roles suggested for the mirror neuron

system in humans is that of understanding not just other people’s physical actions or speech, but their minds and their intentions

• It has been suggested that some persons, such as persons with autism, have difficulty understanding other people’s minds and, therefore, might lack mirror neurons

• However, numerous research studies consistently show that persons with autism are highly capable of understanding the intentions of other people’s actions, suggesting that our intuitions about persons with autism and mirror neurons needs to be revised.

Conclusion: More Research on the Mirror Neuron System Is Needed

• Distinct class of cells• Artifact of an overall function of the motor

system• Creating social understanding• Observation-execution matching systems

provided by the mirror neuron system may be the key neural mechanism

References

• http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/12/131219142317.htm

• http://www.brainfacts.org/brain-basics/neuroanatomy/articles/2008/mirror-neurons/

• http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2012/11/06/whats-so-special-about-mirror-neurons/

• https://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/news/releases/monkey-see-monkey-do-the-role-of-mirror-neurons-in-human-behavior.html

• http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/do_mirror_neurons_give_empathy

• http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201402/do-mirror-neurons-help-create-social-understanding

• http://www.interactive-biology.com/44/what-is-a-neuron/

• http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/12/131219142317.htm

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