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Mirror Neurons (Anatomy (monkeys) (The Mirror Neuron System: F5 & PF…

- - - - In contrast, primary motor cortex (F1) codes specific finger movements
      - F5 is both - a part of cannonical neurons and mirror neurons. Both have visual and motor properties. Similarly respond to performed actions (i.e. motor properties), but cannonical neurons respond to observed objects, while MNs respond to observed actions (i.e., differ radically in visual properties)
      - F5 is a "vocabulary" of motor acts (evidence: neurons code specific actions, e.g.: grasping, holding, tearing, etc.)
- - - - However, Buccino et al. (2001) demonstrated activation of Broca's area during observation of hand movements, but not foot movements. Since inner speech cannot be selective, activation of Broca's area is not indicative of verbal mediation
  - - - Patterns of eye-hand coordination are similar when performing and observing a block stacking task (predictive eye-hand coordination, rather than reactive). That is, gaze led the hand to the blocks to be grasped and to the landing sites, and was rarely directed to the moving hand or block per se. This suggests that eye movements support hand-movement planning and control. Focusing on motor-relevant information even when simply observing action
        
        Predictions of other's actions are largely based on our own motor experience
- - - - If mirror neurons exist, they should adapt (i.e., show reduced fMRI signal) when an observation of motor act is followed by an execution and vice versa.
      - Adaptation was found in Obs1-Obs2, Exe1-Exe2, Obs1-Exe1, but not after first executing, then observing action - no signal reduction (Exe1-Obs1). This is not compatible with Direct Matching Hypothesis that holds that action recognition and understanding are based on motor simulation (Lignau et al., 2009)
      - However, adaptation occurs at the synaptic level and requires input through the same pathways. But the input to MNs varies for observation and execution (Rizzolatti & Sinigaglia, 2010)