Is the mirror neuron system involved in imitation? A short review and meta-analysis

@article{Molenberghs2009IsTM,
  title={Is the mirror neuron system involved in imitation? A short review and meta-analysis},
  author={Pascal Molenberghs and Ross Cunnington and Jason B. Mattingley},
  journal={Neuroscience \& Biobehavioral Reviews},
  year={2009},
  volume={33},
  pages={975-980}
}
It has been suggested that the mirror neuron system provides an important neural substrate for humans' ability to imitate. Mirror neurons have been found during single-cell recordings in monkeys in area F5 and PF. It is believed that the human equivalent of this mirror system in humans is the pars opercularis of the inferior frontal gyrus (area 44) and the rostral part of the inferior parietal lobule. This article critically reviews published fMRI studies that examined the role of frontal and… 
View on Elsevier
researchmgt.monash.edu
269 Citations
Highly Influential Citations
8
Background Citations
97
Methods Citations
11
Results Citations
15

269 Citations

Citation Type

Citation Type

The role of the superior temporal sulcus and the mirror neuron system in imitation
TLDR
It is suggested 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.
Subcortical contributions to effective connectivity in brain networks supporting imitation
TLDR
The results clarify the role of cortical regions supporting action observation, action execution and imitation, and highlight the role the cerebellum may play in facilitating both motor and nonmotor aspects of imitation.
ALE meta-analysis of action observation and imitation in the human brain
TLDR
The present meta-analysis summarizes and amends previous descriptions of the human brain networks related to action observation and imitation, and identifies cortical areas consistently involved in action observed and imitation by combining activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta- analysis with probabilistic cytoarchitectonic maps.
Brain regions with mirror properties: A meta-analysis of 125 human fMRI studies
TLDR
A core network of human brain regions that possess mirror properties associated with action observation and execution are suggested, with additional areas recruited during tasks that engage non-motor functions, such as auditory, somatosensory and affective components.
Lesion evidence for a human mirror neuron system
TLDR
Clinical data support key hypotheses derived from the notion of a human MNS: LH lesions to the MNS core regions affected - critically and to a similar extent - the imitation, recognition, and comprehension of meaningful actions.
Observed, Executed, and Imagined Action Representations can be Decoded From Ventral and Dorsal Areas.
TLDR
Multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA) is used to show that action representations, including observation, imagery, and execution of reaching movements are distributed across both dorsal and ventral premotor and parietal areas, and challenge the presumed dominance of traditional mirror neuron areas such as Broca's area in action observation and action representation more generally.
Shared and Distinct Neuroanatomic Regions Critical for Tool-related Action Production and Recognition: Evidence from 131 Left-hemisphere Stroke Patients
TLDR
The results of this large patient study help to bring closure to a long-standing debate by showing that tool-related AP and AR critically depend on both common and distinct left hemisphere neural substrates, most of which are external to putative human mirror regions.
Parietal and premotor cortices: Activation reflects imitation accuracy during observation, delayed imitation and concurrent imitation
TLDR
It is concluded that the IPL is involved in online comparison and visuospatial attention processes during imitation, the SPL provides a kinesthetic blueprint during movement observation, the POp preserves body identity, and the vPMC recruits motor representations--especially when no concurrent visual guidance is possible.
Mirror neuron activation in children with developmental coordination disorder: A functional MRI study
TLDR
Some preliminary evidence is provided to support a possible MNS dysfunction in children with DCD, with decreased cortical activation mirror neuron related regions, including the precentral gyrus and IFG, as well as in the posterior cingulate and precuneus complex when observing the sequencing task.
Interfering with the neural activity of mirror-related frontal areas impairs mentalistic inferences
TLDR
The results suggest that the right inferior frontal cortex and its underlying axonal connectivity have a key role in mentalizing, and support the hypothesis whereby transient, functional disruption of the mirror network influences higher order mentalistic inferences.
...
1
2
3
4
5
...

References

SHOWING 1-10 OF 56 REFERENCES
Lateralization of the Human Mirror Neuron System
TLDR
The data indicate that visual and motor components of the human mirror system are not left-lateralized, and the left hemisphere superiority for language must be have been favored by other types of language precursors, perhaps auditory or multimodal action representations.
The mirror neuron system and its function in humans
TLDR
The properties of mirror neurons indicate that primate brain is endowed with a mechanism mapping the pictorial description of actions, carried out in the higher order visual areas onto their motor counterpart, which may underlie a variety of functions.
Activations related to “mirror” and “canonical” neurones in the human brain: an fMRI study
TLDR
It is suggested that in the human brain, the ventral limb of the precentral sulcus may form part of the area designated F5 in the macaque monkey, though anatomical studies suggest that it may be a transitional area between the premotor and prefrontal cortices.
Mirror neuron system
TLDR
The involvement of mirror neuron system (MNS) is implicated in neurocognitive functions (social cognition, language, empathy, theory of mind) and neuropsychiatric disorders and brain imaging studies reveal that action observation in humans activates the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), lower part of the precentral gyrus, the rostral part ofThe IPL and also the temporal, occipital and parietal visual areas.
Neural Circuits Underlying Imitation Learning of Hand Actions An Event-Related fMRI Study
TLDR
The results showed that the basic circuit underlying imitation learning consists of the inferior parietal lobule and the posterior part of the superior frontal gyrus plus the adjacent premotor cortex (mirror neuron circuit), plus structures involved in motor preparation (dorsal prem motor cortex, superior parietal lobe, rostral mesial areas).
Neural circuits involved in imitation and perspective-taking
TLDR
Findings suggest that the 1st- person perspective is more tightly coupled to the sensory-motor system than the 3rd-person perspective, which requires additional visuospatial transformation.
Neural mechanisms of imitation
  • M. Iacoboni
  • Medicine, Psychology
    Current Opinion in Neurobiology
  • 2005
TLDR
This work has suggested that there is a core circuitry of imitation comprising the superior temporal sulcus and the 'mirror neuron system', which consists of the posterior inferior frontal gyrus and adjacent ventral premotor cortex, as well as the rostral inferior parietal lobule.
Cortical and subcortical mechanisms at the core of imitation
TLDR
It is suggested that lateral OFC responds to action–perception mismatch and other clusters reflect working memory, motor planning, associative learning, and visuo-motor integration of goal-directed action.
The Observation and Execution of Actions Share Motor and Somatosensory Voxels in all Tested Subjects: Single-Subject Analyses of Unsmoothed fMRI Data
TLDR
A model is proposed that extends the original idea of the MNS to include forward and inverse internal models and motor and sensory simulation, distinguishing the M NS from a more general concept of sVx.
Modulation of cortical activity during different imitative behaviors.
TLDR
Functional magnetic resonance imaging findings suggest that the degree of involvement of frontoparietal mirror areas in imitation depends on the nature of the imitative behavior, ruling out a linguistic mediation of these Areas in imitation.
...
1
2
3
4
5
...