Andersen Lab Mirror Neurons - Animated Tasks

In the early 1990s, researchers studying nonhuman primates discovered a population of brain cells they called "mirror neurons." These specialized brain cells fired when the animal performed an action and also when the animal observed another performing that same action.

The discovery of mirror neurons seemed to support the idea that we understand the actions of others by internally simulating them in our own minds. But if that were the case, how would anyone be able to imagine doing something they had never done themselves? How could anyone understand Superman flying, for example, when no human has ever been able to fly?

New research from Caltech researchers has found the first evidence for mirror-like behavior in individual human neurons and suggests that "mirroring" is context dependent and more intricate than previously believed.

This video shows the animated tasks participants observed while activity from their mirror neurons was recorded. If mirror neurons functioned as originally defined at their discovery, the neurons should respond in an identical way whether a participant is observing or intending to execute a particular action.

The research was carried out in the laboratory of Richard Andersen, the James G. Boswell Professor of Neuroscience and Leadership Chair and director of the T&C Chen Brain-Machine Interface Center at the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience at Caltech.

More info: https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/first-findings-of-mirror-like-activity-in-individual-human-neurons