The human mirror neuron system: Evolutionary adaptation or associative learning?

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Event Abstract Back to Event The human mirror neuron system: Evolutionary adaptation or associative learning? Peter G. Enticott1, Bernadette M. Fitzgibbon1 and Paul Fitzgerald1 1 Monash University and The Alfred, Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Australia Common theoretical accounts of “mirror systems” in humans suggest that mirror neurons have been selected for throughout evolution to facilitate social cognition. A recent model, however, suggests that mirror systems have arisen not through evolutionary processes but via associative learning, whereby synchronous visual and motor neuron activity produces cells with mirror properties. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electromyography (EMG) were used to evaluate whether visuomotor associations affect interpersonal motor resonance, a putative measure of mirror system activity. Healthy adult participants (n = 18) completed two experiments, which explored whether visuomotor associations established throughout one's lifespan (i.e., common movements and those viewed by an egocentric perspective) are associated with enhanced interpersonal motor resonance. There were no overall differences in interpersonal motor resonance for common versus uncommon actions, or for actions presented from an egocentric versus an allocentric perspective. There was, however, increased interpersonal motor resonance within the abductor digiti minimi (ADM) muscle in response to allocentric compared to egocentric movements. As the association model predicts a stronger mirror system response to actions with stronger visuomotor associations, our findings provide little evidence to support an associative learning model. A more promising account might involve an integration of adaptation and association models, whereby mirror systems are highly plastic but also potentially serve an adaptive purpose. Acknowledgements Funding provided by Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project DP120101738. Keywords: Mirror Neurons, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Electromyography, evolution, associative learning Conference: ACNS-2013 Australasian Cognitive Neuroscience Society Conference, Clayton, Melbourne, Australia, 28 Nov - 1 Dec, 2013. Presentation Type: Poster Topic: Emotion and Social Citation: Enticott PG, Fitzgibbon BM and Fitzgerald P (2013). The human mirror neuron system: Evolutionary adaptation or associative learning?. Conference Abstract: ACNS-2013 Australasian Cognitive Neuroscience Society Conference. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2013.212.00069 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 15 Oct 2013; Published Online: 25 Nov 2013. Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Peter G Enticott Bernadette M Fitzgibbon Paul Fitzgerald Google Peter G Enticott Bernadette M Fitzgibbon Paul Fitzgerald Google Scholar Peter G Enticott Bernadette M Fitzgibbon Paul Fitzgerald PubMed Peter G Enticott Bernadette M Fitzgibbon Paul Fitzgerald Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.