Mirror neurones, empathy and self-awareness.

Mirror neurones were discovered by Gallase when investigating the neuronal networks involved in movement. This neurone type is activated when an individual copies an observed movement or when a performed action is copied by someone else. Different mirror neurons also fire dependant on the context and the position of the movement in space.

Lacoboni theorises that these neurones are important in predicting and understanding behaviour, but these may also play a role in empathy. This was supported by the use of informative brain imaging techniques. The brain regions containing mirror neurones activate during feelings of disgust, happiness and pain as well as activating when viewing images of other people experiencing these emotions. Mirror neurones have also been implicated in Theory of Mind, in which one’s own mental state is represented and this is used to predict and understand the mental state of others.

Both of these theories are supported by mirror neurones in autism. Autistic patients show impairments in predicting and understanding the intentions, behaviour and emotions of others and also impaired theory of mind. Furthermore, the brain regions containing mirror neurones involved in these factors are smaller in autistic patients, depending on the level of functioning. Low functioning autistic patients tend to have the most issues in these areas and high functioning autistic patients often only have minor impairments in social abilities. Interestingly, this is reflected in the state of the mirror neuron areas. Low functioning autistic patients show the most loss of these neurones whereas the mirror neurones in high functioning autistic patients are almost intact.

These neurones clearly have a role in social and physical abilities, however how these neurones work is still not fully understood by neuroscientists. This seems to be a consistent issue across mirror neurone research, they are crucial in many processes but why and how is still unsure, thus mirror neurones remain an intriguing enigma in the workings of the brain.