Emotional valence modulates putative mirror neuron activity.
Mirror neurons are thought to facilitate emotion processing, but it is unclear whether the valence of an emotional presentation (positive or negative) can influence subsequent mirror neuron activity. Participants completed a transcranial magnetic stimulation experiment that involved stimulation of the primary motor cortex, and electromyography recording from contralateral hand muscles. This was performed while participants viewed videos of either a static hand or a transitive hand action preceded by either a positive or negative stimulus. Corticospinal excitability facilitation during action observation was significantly greater following the presentation of negative (relative to positive) stimuli; this was evident for the first dorsal interosseous muscle (which was central to the observed grasp), but not for the abductor digiti minimi muscle. This study provides evidence that emotional valence can modulate mirror neuron activity, which may reflect an adaptive mechanism.
Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University and The Alfred, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia. peter.enticott@monash.edu
Peter G
PG
Enticott
Bronwyn A
BA
Harrison
Sara L
SL
Arnold
Kaitlyn
K
Nibaldi
Rebecca A
RA
Segrave
Bernadette M
BM
Fitzgibbon
Hayley A
HA
Kennedy
Kristal
K
Lau
Paul B
PB
Fitzgerald
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D003265:Contingent Negative Variation / Q000502:physiology*; D004576:Electromyography; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D059167:Mirror Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; D055815:Young Adult