Access
To read this article in full you may need to log in, make a payment or gain access through a site license (see right).
Review
Nature Reviews Neuroscience 7, 942–951 (1 December 2006) | doi:10.1038/nrn2024
The mirror neuron system and the consequences of its dysfunction
&
Abstract
The discovery of premotor and parietal cells known as mirror neurons in the macaque brain that fire not only when the animal is in action, but also when it observes others carrying out the same actions provides a plausible neurophysiological mechanism for a variety of important social behaviours, from imitation to empathy. Recent data also show that dysfunction of the mirror neuron system in humans might be a core deficit in autism, a socially isolating condition. Here, we review the neurophysiology of the mirror neuron system and its role in social cognition and discuss the clinical implications of mirror neuron dysfunction.
To read this article in full you may need to log in, make a payment or gain access through a site license (see right).
