Mirror Neurons

In daily life, we continuously receive sensory input from the environment and interact with space and objects present in it. Part of this sensory input includes biological stimulation or being exposed to the behavior of conspecifics or animals. Thus, the neuroscientific question is, what are the mechanisms and the neural centers involved in recognizing others’ behavior? Mirror neurons (MNs) [Page 1421]respond to this question. MNs are visuomotor neurons of the motor cortex that respond both during the execution of a goal-directed movement (motor act), such as grasping an object, and the observation of another individual performing the same motor act. The mirror neuron mechanism, originally described in monkeys, has been widely demonstrated in humans. Its basic function is that of enabling individuals to understand others’ ...