Mirror Neurons
Empathy
(Kohut, 1984) Def - an attempt to experience the inner life of another while retaining objectivity. MNs excited - elicits visceral, cognitive and emotional information - leads to a hypothesis of what the other is experiencing.
Role of MNs in empathy
- (Rizzolatti et al, 1999) Mirror systems - resonate with others - facilitates social cohesion - safety - learning.
What if MNs don't work properly? Autism
- Find it hard to generate a mental image of what another is feeling (Fletcher et al (1995). • Effectively 'mindblind' (Baron-Cohen, 1995).
Role of MNs in empathy
- Often passive - evolved ability to select how we resonate - utilise resonation based on empathetic understanding of the other in strategic ways (Rizzolatti et al, 1998). - Attune MNs with other MNs - aides relationships - attachment
TOM
The ability to see things from the perspective of others which enables one to predict the behaviour of others.
However - lack of muscle control impedes empathy
• (Neal and Chartrand 2011) - Botox - unable to empathise - unable to mimic facial action - don't access emotional state. Similar seen in those with paralysis, such as after a stroke.
What if MNs don't work properly? Autism
• (Pfeiffer et al (2008). fMRL studies - lower activity in mirror neuron systems of the fronto-insula and anterior -cingulate cortex when imitating or observing expressions.
And we can take pictures
• - imaging studies - mirror neurons - prevalent in temporal, parietal and frontal lobes, as well as the amygdala, insula, basal ganglia and cerebellum (for a review see Cozolino, 2006).
TOM
• Based on somatic emotional information attained through the activation of mirror neuron systems excited by the eye gaze, facial expressions, movement, posture and tone of voice of others.
Possible responses - links with general emotional processing
• Cacioppo and Gardner (1999) fancy a fight, experience positive emotions and stay on course in the situation.
Possible responses - links with general emotional processing
• Calder et al (2001) - Perceived negative stimuli (it'll be painful if he hits me) leads one to make changes to the situation.
fMRI evidence of what happens when we see faces bing pulled
• Carr et al (2003) - when observing OR imitating facial expression - activity in the inferior frontal, superior temporal, amygdala and insula
Anatomical locus of the amygdala useful in this.
• Central role of Insula here - it mediates communication between others and self - guides action - goal directed behaviour (Ramachandran, 2007).
Many fMRI studies show...
• Emotional brain regions - activated - observe the emotional states of others (Cozolino, 2006).
Example - links with 'prefixes' of SMH
• Further, we can deduce the emotions of others from their actions (e.g. facial expressions), visible bodily causes (e.g. a syringe penetrating a hand is likely to trigger pain), or even the semantics of language (e.g. 'I'm very sad today').
MNs imitation
• In other words, human beings have the capacity to imitate each other (Cozolino, 2006).
Link with James Lange thoery - not completely passive - Machiavellianism
• Mirroring ties - James Lange's theory - MNs provide - internal representation of the emotion another is experiencing, which is in turn felt by one (Cozolino, 2006). • This can be controlled though - Can choose, with practice, to rationalise emotion - not passive (Cozolino, 2006).
MNs useful in learning goal-directed behaviour from others
• Rizzolatti and Arbib (1998) MNs help develop prefixes for given scenarios - How they are activated in social interaction aides learning from the group - learn the symbols and gestures pertinent to the group across a social synapse.
Understand what others are feeling
• Seeing or reading about body parts of others - injured - activity in the MN's of the I/FO (Hood, 2012).
MNs at the social interface of guiding behaviour
• So, when a geezer is charging at speed, looking at you directly in the eye with clenched fists, the activation of mirror neurons contributes to an emotional process that will either, flee or fight. TIES IN WITH OTHER STUFF. 2 possible options...
Can observe functions of those with brain damge though
• Studies - lesions to I/FO - I/FO involved in the experience and recognition of certain emotions - emotions in others
• TIE THIS IN WITH OTHER EMOTIONAL PROCESSING LITERATURE.
• TIE THIS IN WITH OTHER EMOTIONAL PROCESSING LITERATURE.
Possible responses - links with general emotional processing
• This ties in with O'Doherty et al (2001) - right OMPFC punishment (negative) or left OMPFC reward (positive).
OMPFC
• This ties in with O'Doherty et al (2001) - right OMPFC punishment (negative) or left OMPFC reward (positive). • The right OMPFC is concerned with decoding mental states (what is being felt) whilst the left is stronger at reasoning why a mental state is being felt (Sabbagh, 2004).
Links with James Lange theory
• Thus - mimics the muscle action, can enable one to experience the the emotion the other is experiencing.
MNs at the interface
• Thus, the MN's, in particular it would seem the MNs of the insula, play a central INTERFACE role in the self-experience of the emotion the other is experiencing (Ramachandran, 2007).
All centred in I/FO
• Together these findings suggest, that representations of emotional bodily states in the I/FO can be triggered by many sources of information signalling that another individual is experiencing similar emotional states.
Can't study humans as we study chimps
• lack systematic single cell recordings from the I/FO - can't identify specific neuronal firing in emotion in humans
Mns in babies
• mimicking mouth movements (Meltzof and Moore, 1992).
Can't study humans as Rizzolatti (1990) and di Pelegrino et al (1991) studied chimps
• rhesus monkeys (Rizolatti , 1990; di Pelegrino et al, 1991) - specific neurons fire - insula/frontal operculum - performing OR observing specific task
Anatomy - Insula
Insula - strongly interconnected with motor and prefrontal areas - all sensory modalities - the insula and its rich supply of mirror neurons at the interface of the self and other.
