Evidence of Mirror Neurons in Human Inferior Frontal Gyrus

TLDR

There is much current debate about the existence of mirror neurons in humans. The study aims to identify mirror neurons in the human inferior frontal gyrus. Using a repetition suppression paradigm and fMRI, subjects either executed or observed a series of actions. The IFG showed suppressed responses when an executed action was followed by the same observed action, and vice versa, supporting the presence of mirror neurons.

Abstract

There is much current debate about the existence of mirror neurons in humans. To identify mirror neurons in the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) of humans, we used a repetition suppression paradigm while measuring neural activity with functional magnetic resonance imaging. Subjects either executed or observed a series of actions. Here we show that in the IFG, responses were suppressed both when an executed action was followed by the same rather than a different observed action and when an observed action was followed by the same rather than a different executed action. This pattern of responses is consistent with that predicted by mirror neurons and is evidence of mirror neurons in the human IFG.