The Experts below are selected from a list of 4596 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform

Christian Keysers - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • mapping the flow of information within the putative Mirror Neuron System during gesture observation
    NeuroImage, 2011
    Co-Authors: Marleen B Schippers, Christian Keysers
    Abstract:

    The putative Mirror Neuron System may either function as a strict feed-forward System or as a dynamic control System. A strict feed-forward System would predict that action observation leads to a predominantly temporal -> parietal -> premotor flow of information in which a visual representation is transformed into motor-programs which contribute to action understanding. Instead, a dynamic feedback control System would predict that the reverse direction of information flow predominates because of a combination of inhibitory forward and excitatory inverse models. Here we test which of these conflicting predictions best matches the information flow within the putative Mirror Neuron System (pMNS) and between the pMNS and the rest of the brain during the observation of comparatively long naturalistic stretches of communicative gestures. We used Granger causality to test the dominant direction of influence. Our results fit the predictions of the dynamic feedback control System: we found predominantly an information flow within the pMNS from premotor to parietal and middle temporal cortices. This is more pronounced during an active guessing task than while passively reviewing the same gestures. In particular, the ventral premotor cortex sends significantly more information to other pMNS areas than it receives during active guessing than during passive observation. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  • acting together in and beyond the Mirror Neuron System
    NeuroImage, 2009
    Co-Authors: Valeria Gazzola, Christian Keysers, Idil Kokal
    Abstract:

    Moving a set dinner table often takes two people, and doing so without spilling the glasses requires the close coordination of the two agents' actions. It has been argued that the Mirror Neuron System may be the key neural locus of such coordination. Instead, here we show that such coordination recruits two separable sets of areas: one that could translate between motor and visual codes and one that could integrate these information to achieve common goals. The former includes regions of the putative Mirror Neuron System, the latter, regions of the prefrontal, posterior parietal and temporal lobe adjacent to the putative Mirror Neuron System. Both networks were more active while participants cooperated with a human agent, responding to their actions, compared to a computer that did not, evidencing their social dimension. This finding shows that although the putative Mirror Neuron System can play a critical role in joint actions by translating both agents' actions into a common code, the flexible remapping of our own actions with those of others required during joint actions seems to be performed outside of the putative Mirror Neuron System.

  • facial expressions what the Mirror Neuron System can and cannot tell us
    Social Neuroscience, 2007
    Co-Authors: Christiaan Van Der Gaag, Ruud B Minderaa, Christian Keysers
    Abstract:

    Abstract Facial expressions contain both motor and emotional components. The inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and posterior parietal cortex have been considered to compose a Mirror Neuron System (MNS) for the motor components of facial expressions, while the amygdala and insula may represent an “additional” MNS for emotional states. Together, these Systems may contribute to our understanding of facial expressions. Here we further examine this possibility. In three separate event-related fMRI experiment, subjects had to (1) observe (2) discriminate and (3) imitate facial expressions. Stimuli were dynamic neutral, happy, fearful and disgusted facial expressions, and in Experiments 1 and 2, an additional pattern motion condition. Importantly, during each experiment, subjects were unaware of the nature of the next experiments. Results demonstrate that even passive viewing of facial expressions activates a wide network of brain regions that were also involved in the execution of similar expressions, including the ...

  • the anthropomorphic brain the Mirror Neuron System responds to human and robotic actions
    NeuroImage, 2007
    Co-Authors: Valeria Gazzola, B. Wicker, Giacomo Rizzolatti, Christian Keysers
    Abstract:

    In humans and monkeys the Mirror Neuron System transforms seen actions into our inner representation of these actions. Here we asked if this System responds also if we see an industrial robot perform similar actions. We localised the motor areas involved in the execution of hand actions, presented the same subjects blocks of movies of humans or robots perform a variety of actions. The Mirror System was activated strongly by the sight of both human and robotic actions, with no significant differences between these two agents. Finally we observed that seeing a robot perform a single action repeatedly within a block failed to activate the Mirror System. This latter finding suggests that previous studies may have failed to find Mirror activations to robotic actions because of the repetitiveness of the presented actions. Our findings suggest that the Mirror Neuron System could contribute to the understanding of a wider range of actions than previously assumed, and that the goal of an action might be more important for Mirror activations than the way in which the action is performed.

  • The anthropomorphic brain: The Mirror Neuron System responds to human and robotic actions
    NeuroImage, 2007
    Co-Authors: Valeria Gazzola, B. Wicker, Giacomo Rizzolatti, Christian Keysers
    Abstract:

    In humans and monkeys the Mirror Neuron System transforms seen actions into our inner representation of these actions. Here we asked if this System responds also if we see an industrial robot perform similar actions. We localised the motor areas involved in the execution of hand actions, presented the same subjects blocks of movies of humans or robots perform a variety of actions. The Mirror System was activated strongly by the sight of both human and robotic actions, with no significant differences between these two agents. Finally we observed that seeing a robot perform a single action repeatedly within a block failed to activate the Mirror System. This latter finding suggests that previous studies may have failed to find Mirror activations to robotic actions because of the repetitiveness of the presented actions. Our findings suggest that the Mirror Neuron System could contribute to the understanding of a wider range of actions than previously assumed, and that the goal of an action might be more important for Mirror activations than the way in which the action is performed. © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Lisa Azizzadeh - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • the Mirror Neuron System innovations and implications for occupational therapy
    Otjr-occupation Participation and Health, 2012
    Co-Authors: Sooklei Liew, Kathleen A Garrison, Julie Werner, Lisa Azizzadeh
    Abstract:

    Occupational therapy has traditionally championed the use of meaningful occupations in rehabilitation. Emerging research in neuroscience about the putative human Mirror Neuron System may provide empirical support for the use of occupations to improve outcomes in rehabilitation. This article provides an interdisciplinary framework for understanding the Mirror Neuron System—a network of motor-related brain regions activated during the production and perception of the same actions—in relation to occupational therapy. The authors present an overview of recent research on the Mirror Neuron System, highlighting features that are relevant to clinical practice in occupational therapy. They also discuss the potential use of the Mirror Neuron System in motor rehabilitation and how it may be deficient in populations served by occupational therapy, including individuals with dyspraxia, multisensory integration disorders, and social interaction difficulties. Methods are proposed for occupational therapy to translate t...

  • neural correlates of developmental coordination disorder the Mirror Neuron System hypothesis
    Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science, 2012
    Co-Authors: Julie Werner, Sharon A Cermak, Lisa Azizzadeh
    Abstract:

    Primary impairments of developmental coordination disorder (DCD) include impairments in motor skill, motor learning, and imitation. Such difficulties present challenges for individuals with DCD and may persist into adulthood, negatively impacting daily life in school, work, and social domains. A better understanding of the neural correlates of motor and imitation impairments in DCD holds the potential for informing development of treatment approaches to address these impairments. Although the disorder is assumed to be of neurological origin, little is known of the brain-based etiology of DCD. In recent years the discovery of a fronto-parietal circuit—known as the Mirror Neuron System—has enabled researchers to better understand imitation, general motor functions, and aspects of social cognition. Given its involvement in imitation and other motor functions, we propose that dysfunction in the Mirror Neuron System may underlie the characteristic impairments of DCD. We review literature pertaining to the Mirror Neuron System and develop a theory of disordered Mirror Neuron functioning in DCD. Finally, we review the limited neuroimaging literature available on neural correlates of DCD and show that the findings from those investigations are congruent with a Mirror Neuron System theory of DCD. Future research in this population should be designed to investigate specifically Mirror Neuron regions in individuals with DCD during skilled motor tasks and imitation in particular.

  • the Mirror Neuron System a neural substrate for methods in stroke rehabilitation
    Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 2010
    Co-Authors: Kathleen A Garrison, Carolee J Winstein, Lisa Azizzadeh
    Abstract:

    Mirror Neurons found in the premotor and parietal cortex respond not only during action execution, but also during observation of actions being performed by others. Thus, the motor System may be activated without overt movement. Rehabilitation of motor function after stroke is often challenging due to severity of impairment and poor to absent voluntary movement ability. Methods in stroke rehabilitation based on the Mirror Neuron System—action observation, motor imagery, and imitation—take advantage of this opportunity to rebuild motor function despite impairments, as an alternative or complement to physical therapy. Here the authors review research into each condition of practice, and discuss the relevance of the Mirror Neuron System to stroke recovery.

  • the human Mirror Neuron System and embodied representations
    Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 2009
    Co-Authors: Lisa Azizzadeh, Richard B Ivry
    Abstract:

    Mirror Neurons are defined as Neurons in the monkey cortex which respond to goal oriented actions, whether the behavior is self-generated or produced by another. Here we briefly review this literature and consider evidence from behavioral, neuropsychological, and brain imaging studies for a similar Mirror Neuron System in humans. Furthermore, we review functions of this System related to action comprehension and motor imagery, as well as evidence for speculations on the System’s ties with conceptual knowledge and language.

Ross Cunnington - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • the role of the superior temporal sulcus and the Mirror Neuron System in imitation
    Human Brain Mapping, 2010
    Co-Authors: Pascal Molenberghs, Christopher Brander, Jason B Mattingley, Ross Cunnington
    Abstract:

    It has been suggested that in humans the Mirror Neuron System provides a neural substrate for imitation behaviour, but the relative contributions of different brain regions to the imitation of manual actions is still a matter of debate. To investigate the role of the Mirror Neuron System in imitation we used fMRI to examine patterns of neural activity under four different conditions: passive observation of a pantomimed action (e.g., hammering a nail); (2) imitation of an observed action; (3) execution of an action in response to a word cue; and (4) self-selected execution of an action. A network of cortical areas, including the left supramarginal gyrus, left superior parietal lobule, left dorsal premotor area and bilateral superior temporal sulcus (STS), was significantly active across all four conditions. Crucially, within this network the STS bilaterally was the only region in which activity was significantly greater for action imitation than for the passive observation and execution conditions. We suggest that the role of the STS in imitation is not merely to passively register observed biological motion, but rather to actively represent visuomotor correspondences between one's own actions and the actions of others.

  • The Role of the Superior Temporal Sulcus and the Mirror Neuron System in Imitation
    Human Brain Mapping, 2010
    Co-Authors: Pascal Molenberghs, Christopher Brander, Jason B Mattingley, Ross Cunnington
    Abstract:

    It has been suggested that in humans the Mirror Neuron System provides a neural substrate for imitation behaviour, but the relative contributions of different brain regions to the imitation of manual actions is still a matter of debate To investigate the role of the Mirror Neuron System in imitation we used fMRI to examine patterns of neural activity under four different conditions passive observation of a pantomimed action (e.g., hammering a nail), (2) imitation of an observed action, (3) execution of an action in response to a word cue, and (4) self-selected execution of an action A network of cortical areas, including the left supramarginal gyrus, left superior parietal lobule, left dorsal premotor area and bilateral superior temporal sulcus (STS), was significantly active across all four conditions Crucially, within this network the STS bilaterally was the only region in which activity was significantly greater for action imitation than for the passive observation and execution conditions We suggest that the role of the STS in imitation is not merely to passively register observed biological motion, but rather to actively represent visuomotor correspondences between one's own actions and the actions of others Hum Brain Mapp 31.1316-1326, 2010 (C) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Jean Decety - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • sex differences in the neuroanatomy of human Mirror Neuron System a voxel based morphometric investigation
    Neuroscience, 2009
    Co-Authors: Yawei Cheng, Jean Decety, Kunhsien Chou, I Y Chen, D Hung, Ovid J L Tzeng
    Abstract:

    Females frequently perform better in empathy, interpersonal sensitivity, and emotional recognition than do males. The Mirror-Neuron System has been proposed to play an important role in social cognition. It remains to be clarified, however, whether the neuroanatomy underlying the human Mirror Neuron System exhibits sex differences. With the use of voxel-based morphometry analysis, a whole-brain unbiased technique to characterize regional cerebral volume differences in structural magnetic resonance images, concurrent with the dispositional empathy measures, we demonstrate that young adult females (n=25) had significantly larger gray matter volume in the pars opercularis and inferior parietal lobule than matched males (n=25) participants. Moreover, higher self-report scores in the emotional empathic disposition was tightly coupled with larger gray matter volume of the pars opercularis across all female and male participants (P=0.002). These results indicate that the existence of neuroanatomical sex differences in the human Mirror-Neuron System. They also suggest that the network of the human Mirror-Neuron System is strongly linked to empathy competence.

  • gender differences in the mu rhythm of the human Mirror Neuron System
    PLOS ONE, 2008
    Co-Authors: Yawei Cheng, Chiayen Yang, Daisy L Hung, Jean Decety
    Abstract:

    Background Psychologically, females are usually thought to be superior in interpersonal sensitivity than males. The human Mirror-Neuron System is considered to provide the basic mechanism for social cognition. However, whether the human Mirror-Neuron System exhibits gender differences is not yet clear. Methodology/Principal Findings We measured the electroencephalographic mu rhythm, as a reliable indicator of the human Mirror-Neuron System activity, when female (N = 20) and male (N = 20) participants watched either hand actions or a moving dot. The display of the hand actions included androgynous, male, and female characteristics. The results demonstrate that females displayed significantly stronger mu suppression than males when watching hand actions. Instead, mu suppression was similar across genders when participants observed the moving dot and between the perceived sex differences (same-sex vs. opposite-sex). In addition, the mu suppressions during the observation of hand actions positively correlated with the personal distress subscale of the interpersonal reactivity index and negatively correlated with the Systemizing quotient. Conclusions/Significance The present findings indirectly lend support to the extreme male brain theory put forward by Baron-Cohen (2005), and may cast some light on the Mirror-Neuron dysfunction in autism spectrum disorders. The mu rhythm in the human Mirror-Neuron System can be a potential biomarker of empathic mimicry.

  • motivation modulates the activity of the human Mirror Neuron System
    Cerebral Cortex, 2007
    Co-Authors: Yawei Cheng, Jean Decety, Andrew N Meltzoff
    Abstract:

    : It is not known whether the Mirror-Neuron System is modulated by motivation, such as hunger. In this study, 2 groups of healthy participants underwent 2 functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning sessions separated by 1.5 h interval. During each session, participants were presented with video clips of another person grasping objects or grasping food. The first session was conducted after participants from group 1 had fasted. Then these participants were allowed to eat and were scanned again. Participants from group 2 had a meal before the first session. Food-related stimuli elicited specific hemodynamic response in the parahippocampal gyrus, orbitofrontal cortex, and amygdala, when participants were in a hungry state as compared with a satiated state. In addition, regions that belong to the Mirror-Neuron System, including the inferior frontal gyrus, and the posterior parietal cortex showed greater response when participants were hungry. Increased activity was also detected in the extrastriate body area. A positive correlation was observed between the self-report ratings of hunger and the hemodynamic activity in the inferior frontal gyrus as well as in the amygdala. Our results suggest that motivation to eat modulates the neural activity in the Mirror-Neuron System, facilitating the preparation or the intention to act.

Valeria Gazzola - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • acting together in and beyond the Mirror Neuron System
    NeuroImage, 2009
    Co-Authors: Valeria Gazzola, Christian Keysers, Idil Kokal
    Abstract:

    Moving a set dinner table often takes two people, and doing so without spilling the glasses requires the close coordination of the two agents' actions. It has been argued that the Mirror Neuron System may be the key neural locus of such coordination. Instead, here we show that such coordination recruits two separable sets of areas: one that could translate between motor and visual codes and one that could integrate these information to achieve common goals. The former includes regions of the putative Mirror Neuron System, the latter, regions of the prefrontal, posterior parietal and temporal lobe adjacent to the putative Mirror Neuron System. Both networks were more active while participants cooperated with a human agent, responding to their actions, compared to a computer that did not, evidencing their social dimension. This finding shows that although the putative Mirror Neuron System can play a critical role in joint actions by translating both agents' actions into a common code, the flexible remapping of our own actions with those of others required during joint actions seems to be performed outside of the putative Mirror Neuron System.

  • the anthropomorphic brain the Mirror Neuron System responds to human and robotic actions
    NeuroImage, 2007
    Co-Authors: Valeria Gazzola, B. Wicker, Giacomo Rizzolatti, Christian Keysers
    Abstract:

    In humans and monkeys the Mirror Neuron System transforms seen actions into our inner representation of these actions. Here we asked if this System responds also if we see an industrial robot perform similar actions. We localised the motor areas involved in the execution of hand actions, presented the same subjects blocks of movies of humans or robots perform a variety of actions. The Mirror System was activated strongly by the sight of both human and robotic actions, with no significant differences between these two agents. Finally we observed that seeing a robot perform a single action repeatedly within a block failed to activate the Mirror System. This latter finding suggests that previous studies may have failed to find Mirror activations to robotic actions because of the repetitiveness of the presented actions. Our findings suggest that the Mirror Neuron System could contribute to the understanding of a wider range of actions than previously assumed, and that the goal of an action might be more important for Mirror activations than the way in which the action is performed.

  • The anthropomorphic brain: The Mirror Neuron System responds to human and robotic actions
    NeuroImage, 2007
    Co-Authors: Valeria Gazzola, B. Wicker, Giacomo Rizzolatti, Christian Keysers
    Abstract:

    In humans and monkeys the Mirror Neuron System transforms seen actions into our inner representation of these actions. Here we asked if this System responds also if we see an industrial robot perform similar actions. We localised the motor areas involved in the execution of hand actions, presented the same subjects blocks of movies of humans or robots perform a variety of actions. The Mirror System was activated strongly by the sight of both human and robotic actions, with no significant differences between these two agents. Finally we observed that seeing a robot perform a single action repeatedly within a block failed to activate the Mirror System. This latter finding suggests that previous studies may have failed to find Mirror activations to robotic actions because of the repetitiveness of the presented actions. Our findings suggest that the Mirror Neuron System could contribute to the understanding of a wider range of actions than previously assumed, and that the goal of an action might be more important for Mirror activations than the way in which the action is performed. © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.