![]() ![]() Last year, single mirror neurons were recorded in humans for the first time, using in-depth electrodes, in 21 epileptic patients. Because the lit-up areas contain millions of neurons, for humans most researchers speak of a “mirror system,” rather than mirror cells. By last year, a meta-analysis of 139 imaging studies confirmed mirroring activity in parts of the human brain where, in monkeys, mirror neurons are known to reside. ![]() As this has hardly been practical in humans, studies have had to rely on imaging, which shows which areas of the brain “light up” in different circumstances. ![]() ![]() Locating the tiny cells means attaching electrodes deep inside the brain. Like monkeys, humans have mirror neurons that fire when we both perceive and take an action. To tide us over until then, here’s a report on the state of mirror neuron science. Giacomo Rizzolati, the celebrated discoverer, will deliver the Keynote Address at the APS Convention in Washington DC, USA, on May 26, 2011, and report on his latest findings. In 1992, a team at the University of Parma, Italy discovered what have been termed “mirror neurons” in macaque monkeys: cells that fire both when the monkey took an action (like holding a banana) and saw it performed (when a man held a banana). ![]()
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