title: Mirroring in the Human Brain: Deciphering the Spatial-Temporal Patterns of the Human Mirror Neuron System.
abstract: Embodied theories of cognition emphasize the central role of sensorimotor transformations in the representation of others' actions. Support for these theories is derived from the discovery of the mirror neuron system (MNS) in primates, from noninvasive techniques in humans, and from a limited number of intracranial studies. To understand the neural dynamics of the human MNS, more studies with precise spatial and temporal resolutions are essential. We used electrocorticography to define activation patterns in sensorimotor, parietal and/or frontal neuronal populations, during a viewing and grasping task. Our results show robust high gamma activation for both conditions in classic MNS sites. Furthermore, we provide novel evidence for 2 different populations of neurons: sites that were only active for viewing and grasping ("pure mirroring") and sites that were also active between viewing and grasping, and perhaps serve a more general attentional role. Lastly, a subgroup of parietal electrodes showed earlier peaks than all other regions. These results highlight the complexity of spatial-temporal patterns within the MNS and provide a critical link between single-unit research in monkeys and noninvasive techniques in human.
authors.affiliation: The Psychology Department, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.|Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
authors.forename: Anat
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.affiliation: Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of Californiaat Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stiso
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery and Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
authors.forename: Edward F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92868, USA.
authors.forename: Jack J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Stanford Human Intracranial Cognitive Electrophysiology Program (SHICEP) and the Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Parvizi
authors.affiliation: The Psychology Department, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.|Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.|Department of Neurological Surgery and Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
authors.forename: Robert T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Knight
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059167:Mirror Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000166:cytology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: ECoG; imitation; mirror neurons; motor simulation