Getting in Touch

1
Mirror Neurons A neural basis for Interpersonal
Attunement and Intensive Interaction ?
Dr. Pete Coia (pete.coia_at_swyt.nhs.uk) Birmingham
June 2008
2
Outline questions to be answered ?
Mirror Neurons What are they ? Why they
matter ? ..but first imitation !
3
Infants Imitate
4
Infant macaques imitate
5
Infant imitation Normal Development

Nadel et al 2004
6
Infant imitation
Infants imitate but how ? The correspondence
problem
7
Infants recognize they are being imitated
Normal Development

Nadel et al 2004
8
Infants recognize they are being imitated !
Infants can imitate, and recognize when they are
being imitated ! But how ? The correspondence
problem again !
9
Automatic Imitation !
Automatic imitation (non-conscious
mirroring) Facial expressions Body
positions/postures Actions (e.g.
Yawning) Emotions (Empathy)
10
Automatic Imitation facial expressions myography

11
Automatic Imitation Postural / behavioural
mirroring

12
Automatic Imitation emotions (empathy)

13
Automatic Imitation emotions (empathy) clip

14
Automatic imitation !
Automatic imitation (effortless ) But how
? The correspondence problem again !
15
Infant Interaction involves imitation
Good infant-carer interaction, automatic covert
imitation ( simulation), and intensive
interaction, effortlessly solves the
correspondence problem
BUT HOW ?
16
Mirror Neurons ?
(Automatic) Imitation ? . . . Mirror neurons ?
17
Outline questions to be answered ?
Mirror Neurons What are they ? Accidental
discovery
18
Monkey Brain
19
Monkey Brain F5 command neuron
20
Monkey Brain F5 Canonical Neurons
21
Monkey Mirror Neurons
22
Monkey Brain F5 neurons
23
Mirror Neurons Monkey F5 PF
24
Monkey Brain Mirror Neurons

• goals not just actions

25
Monkey Brain Mirror Neurons goals not just
actions
26
Monkey Brain Mirror Neurons goals not just
actions
27
Human Mirror Neurons

• Research techniques
• fMRI
• EEG
• TMS

28
Mirror Neurons Wicker et al 2003 conditions
29
Mirror Neurons Wicker et al 2003 General results
30
Mirror Neurons Wicker et al 2003 (disgust
results)
31
Mirror Neurons Keysers et al 2004 (touch
results)
32
Mirror Neurons Calvo-Merino et al 2005 Results
33
Mirror Neurons Calvo-Merino et al 2005 Results
34
Human Mirror Neurons

• Which key areas of the brain are active when
• both performing and observing actions ?
• Where in the Brain is the Human Mirror Neuron
  system ?

35
Mirror Neurons
36
Mirror Neurons Imitation Observation
37
Mirror Neuron System simulation function(s) ?

Input
Mirror Neurons
Memory (Cultural Library)
Output
Dr. Pete Coia (pete.coia_at_swyt.nhs.uk) Birmingham
June 2008
38
Mirror Neuron System simulation function(s) ?

Affect
Behaviour
Cognition
Sensation
Dr. Pete Coia (pete.coia_at_swyt.nhs.uk) Birmingham
June 2008
39
Mirror Neuron System shared simulation
function(s) ?

Dr. Pete Coia (pete.coia_at_swyt.nhs.uk) Birmingham
June 2008
40
Mirror Neuron System(s) Key implication(s)

...Action observation causes in the observer
the automatic activation of the same neural
mechanism triggered by action execution...
(Gallese 2006) "... By means of a shared
functional state realized in two bodies that
nevertheless obey the same functional rules, the
"objectual" other becomes another "self" ..."
(Gallese 2005). The observer is reading their
own mind , their own goals, and ABCs ,and
experiencing them as belonging to the actor
Dr. Pete Coia (pete.coia_at_swyt.nhs.uk) Birmingham
June 2008
41
Mirror Neurons Intensive Interaction
Implications ?

• The bigger picture
• Imitation, Simulation, Empathy ?
• Is intensive interaction special or normal ?
• Intensive Interaction Technique ?

Dr. Pete Coia (pete.coia_at_swyt.nhs.uk) Birmingham
June 2008