Giacomo Rizolatti - Mirror Neurons

What are mirror neurons and what is their purpose?

Series info

  • Videos
    16
  • Length
    58 min
  • Level
    beginner to intermediate

Description

In this interview, Dr. Giacomo Rizzolatti of the University of Parma, Italy, describes his discovery of a unique type of neurons in the human motor cortex. These neurons respond both when a person initiates a particular action, as well as when the person perceives another person perform a similar action. Because of this defining characteristic neurons with this characteristic are labeled as 'mirror neurons'. Dr. Rizzolatti describes how he and his colleagues first came across these types of neurons and the initial response by the scientific community. Since then, the discovery of mirror neurons has sparked substantial interests in a wide range of fields - ranging from motor learning to language and social and emotional processing. Dr. Rizzolatti addresses many of the research questions that are currently being investigated and some of the more recent advances in the field. He also stresses the applications based on mirror neuron mechanisms that his research group is actively pursuing. The interview was conducted by goCognitive in the Spring of 2011 (funding by the National Science Foundation DUE-0942497).

Video Chapters

The discovery of mirror neurons
The discovery of mirror neurons
3:33
Initial reaction
3:18
Mirror neurons - from monkeys to humans
7:23
Homology
1:38
Counting neurons
1:10
Anatomy of mirror system pathways
1:10
Understanding actions of others
Understanding actions of others
3:39
Two ways of understanding
4:19
Observation and skill learning
1:59
An emotional mirror mechanism
An emotional mirror mechanism
3:21
Modulation of emotional responses
1:18
Critics of mirror neuron research
Critics of mirror neuron mechanisms
2:13
Mirror neurons and their role in the evolution of language
The evolution of language from gestures
7:38
The mirror mechanism and autism
Autism and the mirror system
5:46
The processing of intentions in autistic children
4:54
Neurorehabilitation
Application of mirror mechanisms in neurorehabilitation
4:38

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