Mirror Neurons

[victorias]

Do mirror neurons also fire if you imagine a movement or action? and if you watch yourself in the mirror doing an action?

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[laczlacylaci]

Do mirror neurons also fire if you imagine a movement or action? and if you watch yourself in the mirror doing an action?

I vividly remember from a NS FL that mirror neurons fire when you imagine a movement/action.

 

[NextStepTutor_2]

I vividly remember from a NS FL that mirror neurons fire when you imagine a movement/action.

I vividly remember from a NS FL that mirror neurons fire when you imagine a movement/action.

Yes, this is just one way in which mirror neurons can act. You should note however, that the AAMC has chosen to call out mirror neurons in their MCAT outline under content category 7C, Attitude and Behavioral Change. This can have emotional and motor effects but their activation is NOT limited to the actions one imagines.

In many behavioral/emotional examples, visual information received during action observation (e.g. watching someone performs motor tasks related to social interaction like waving, hand-shaking, hugging, picking up a phone) is processed as motor information, i.e., in terms of what we could "motor resonance." At the neural level this is implemented by the engagement of mirror neurons, mainly found in the premotor and parietal cortices, which are active both during action observation and during action execution. This mirror neuron system is theorized to offer insight into the foundation of social understanding.

This is how the AAMC will most likely test it, though it can for sure show up in other scenarios like we gave in the passage you mention.

Hope this helps, good luck!