Mirror Neurons: Recognition, Interaction, Understanding

Abstract

M irror N eurons : R econgnition , I nteraction , U nderstanding B S J Tanu Patel Recognition of how another person is feeling is the fundamental basis upon which interactions be- tween humans take place. In order to neurologically define and pinpoint the idea of human understand- ing, scientists have been looking into research on mirror neurons. Mirror neurons, or neurons that fire in the same way regardless of whether the person is performing or watching an action being performed have been called the Rosetta stone for understanding human empathy, and other social behaviors; a lapse in mirror neuron function has also been suggested as the reason for many neurological ailments such as Autism. Surprisingly and frighteningly enough, mir- ror neurons were an accidental discovery made quite recently- in the early 1990’s. D iscovery Mirror neurons were first observed by Italian Neuroscientist Giacomo Rizzolatti, MD of the University of Parma, and several of his colleagues in 1992. (Rizzolat- ti & Craighero, The Mirror-Neuron System, 2004) They had been using electrodes connected directly to neurons in the brains of macaque monkeys to study the firing of neurons when a monkey performed various actions “The same neurons were firing regardless of whether or not the monkey was doing or watching the action.” using different objects. One day they accidentally left the machines connected to the monkeys during their lunch break- and when one of the researchers picked up his lunch, they saw that the machines were making the same noise as when a monkey would pick up its own food. When they compared the neurons that fired when the monkey went to pick up its own food to the neurons that fired when the monkey watched the researcher pick up his food, they found no difference at all. Essentially, the 1 • B erkeley S cientific J ournal • A ccidents • V olume 14 • I ssue 2 Figure 1. Psychological consequence of seeing and performing an action from a monkey’s point of view. same neurons were firing regardless of whether or not the monkey was doing or watching the action! (Brain Briefings: Mirror Neurons, 2008) To confirm their discov- ery of what they aptly called “mirror neurons,” the Riz- zolatti and his team ran multiple similar tests using other monkeys, and other types of actions. What they found was that the same neurons fire when a monkey is doing an action as when the monkey is watching that same ac- tion being done. This discovery was significant because it essentially meant that the brains of these monkeys were undergoing the same processes, and in effect under- standing in the same way- regardless of whether the action was their own. They were, in other words, under- standing what their partner was doing in the same way