Mirror Neurons: The Most Hyped Concept in Neuroscience?

            Have you ever wondered how our brain became the way it is today? How we evolved that higher level of functioning that makes us human? I know I have just like many others. Up until recently there has been much insight into this question, but now some signs are pointing to mirror neurons as the origin of this development. Mirror neurons are neurons that are activated we perform an action and when we see someone else perform the same action. These neurons have become the topic of much controversy in the search for the origin of our cognitive development, and both sides are addressed clearly in this article.

            The article examines the idea that motor neurons underlie empathy, the experiencing someone else’s condition from their point-of-view. This idea suggests that empathy is a biologically evolved ability that is reflective of the evolutionary development of mirror neurons. The activation of these neurons through the observation of someone else’s actions is believed to make us feel what that person is experiencing.

            The author of this article then takes the position of devils advocate to present the challenges to this proposition. He argues that the biggest problem with this idea is that we are clearly able to understand and appreciate actions that we cannot perform ourselves. For example, we may not be able to swing a golf club because we’ve never played golf before, but when we watch a pro do it we still understand the action of it, and their goals and intentions of the action. Further research into this has shown that our learning experiences and behavior may actually shape the way our mirror neurons function.

            So as you can see there are two very different sides to the idea of mirror neurons as the origin of our cognitive development. I personally agree with the author of this article and feel that it’s a little large of a claim to say mirror neurons make us empathetic. I believe they may play a role in perceiving and categorizing specific stimuli, but I think it’s the way we analyze and choose to respond to these stimuli that generates our empathy. What do you think?

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brain-myths/201212/mirror-neurons-the-most-hyped-concept-in-neuroscience