Abstract
Mirror neurons are motor neurons that are activated when we perform a motor action and when we observe a motor action performed by someone else. The first article on mirror neurons, published by Rizzolatti in 1996, inspired new theories about mechanisms for learning by imitation, action understanding and the ability to feel empathy. Mirror neurons are mainly found in the premotor cortex in the frontal and parietal lobes and have strong connections to the cortical visual and emotional areas in the limbic system. Additionally, observation of sensory events can be reflected in our own sensory cortex; observing the touch of a hand activates the hand’s representational area in the sensory cortex. These areas can also be activated by listening to ‘action words’ associated with hand activities and by just imaging a hand activity – so-called motor imagery.
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Lundborg, G. (2014). Mirrors in the Brain. In: The Hand and the Brain. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-5334-4_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-5334-4_11
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