The human mirror neuron system: Evolutionary adaptation or associative learning?
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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
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Received:
15 Oct 2013;
Published Online:
25 Nov 2013.