Social Cognition and the Mirror Neuron System of the Brain Jaime A. - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Social Cognition and the Mirror Neuron System of the Brain Jaime A. - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Social Cognition and the Mirror Neuron System of the Brain Jaime A. Pineda, Ph.D. Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory COGS1 class Motivating Questions How do our brains perceive the mental states of others despite their inaccessibility?

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Social Cognition and the Mirror Neuron System of the Brain

Jaime A. Pineda, Ph.D. Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory COGS1 class

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Motivating Questions

  • How do our brains perceive the

mental states of others despite their inaccessibility?

  • How do we read other minds?
  • How do we understand the

actions, emotions and the intentions of others?

  • Rationally?
  • Intuitively?
  • How do we understand first-

and third-person experiences?

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SLIDE 3

Classic Explanation

  • Theory-Theory

(argument from analogy; disembodied knowledge; visual hypothesis)

  • Involves striate, extrastriate,

inferotemporal lobe and superior temporal sulcus, among others

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A Different Perspective

  • Simulation Theory

(Direct-matching hypothesis; embodied knowledge)

  • Map visual information onto

motor representations of the same action

  • Mirroring systems
  • bridges between perception

and action that allow for simulation

Mirror neurons EEG Mu rhythms

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SLIDE 5

A Different Perspective

  • Simulation Theory

(Direct-matching hypothesis; embodied knowledge)

  • Map visual information onto

motor representations of the same action

  • Mirroring systems
  • bridges between perception and

action that allow for simulation

Mirror neurons EEG Mu rhythms

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The Mirror Neuron System

Iacoboni and Dapretto, Nature Reviews, 2006,7:942-951

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Biological Motion

  • Visual system's ability to

recover object information from sparse input

  • Gender
  • Activity engaged in
  • Emotional state
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SLIDE 8

Biological Motion Perception: Monkeys

  • Perret and colleagues

(1989; 1990; 1994)

Cells in superior temporal polysensory area (STPa) of the macaque temporal cortex appear sensitive to biological motion

Oram & Perrett, J. Cog. Neurosci., 1994, 6(2), 99-116

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Biological Motion Perception: Humans

  • An area in the superior

temporal sulcus (STS) in humans responds to biological motion

  • Other areas do as well,

including frontal cortex, SMA, insula, thalamus, amygdala

Grossman et al. J. Cog. Neurosci., 2000, 12(5), 711-720

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Brain Circuit for Social Perception (SP)

  • SP is processing of

information that results in the accurate analysis of the intentions of others

  • STS involved in the

processing of a variety of social signals

Allison et al., Trends in Cog. Sci., 2000, 4, 267-272

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Mirror Neurons

  • A specific class of neurons that discharge

both when the monkey performs an action and when it observes a similar action done by another monkey or an experimenter

  • Found in:

area F5 (homolog of Broca’s area);

10-20%

inferior parietal cortex (PF/7b)

  • Activated by:

Goal directed actions (reaching,

grasping, holding)

Observation of similar actions

performed by “biological” agents

Di Pellegrino et al., Exp. Brain Res., 1992, 91, 176-80

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Mirror Neuron Activity

Rizzolatti et al., Cogn. Brain Res., 1996, 3:131-141

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Perception-to-Action Mapping Selectivity

Logically-Related

(effector independent; 2X)

Congruent

(effector dependent)

Perception Action

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Understanding Intentions

Mimicking Grasping

Umilta et al. Neuron, 2001, 32: 91-101

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Functional Significance

  • Response facilitation
  • Mimicry
  • Simulation
  • Imitation learning
  • Understanding actions
  • Understanding intentions
  • Empathy
  • Theory of Mind
  • Language
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Characterizing the System

intentionality?anthropomorphism? biological realism? motivational significance? generalizability? social relevance? transitive/intransitive actions? learning?

MNS activity No MNS Activity

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Rolandic “en arceau” rhythm

(7-11 Hz)

“…blocked when the subject performs a movement or simply when he changes his postural tone.” “…disappears when the subject identifies himself with an active person represented on the screen.”

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The Mirror Neuron System

Iacoboni and Dapretto, Nature Reviews, 2006,7:942-951

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Mu Rhythm

  • 8-13 Hz oscillation over sensorimotor cortex

Normal Oscillation Self Action Observed Action

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Frequency Analysis of Mu Rhythm

P

  • w

e r Frequency

(8-13 Hz) (10-14 Hz)

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Does Mu Suppression Reflect Mirror Activity?

Baseline Move Observe Imagine

Pineda et al., IEEE Trans. Rehab. Engr., 2000, 8(2): 219-222

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Action Observation and Social Interaction

  • To what degree do mu rhythms, like mirror neurons,

reflect social interaction?

Oberman et al., Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 2007, 2, 62-66

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Experimental Paradigm

  • Measured mu power (2 min of EEG) in normals (n=20)

ages 18-34 (mean=21.1, SD=3.40 ) under different

  • bservation conditions:
  • Non-interacting
  • Social Action - Spectator
  • Social Action - Interactive
  • Visual white noise
  • Engaged in continuous performance task during
  • bservation
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Non-interacting Social Action - Spectator Social Action - Interactive

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Results

0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 Non-Interacting Social Action, Spectator Social Action, Interactive Degree of Social Interaction

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Results

  • 0.4
  • 0.3
  • 0.2
  • 0.1

0.1 Social Action, Interactive Social Action, Spectator Non-Interacting C3 CZ C4

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Understanding Facial Expressions

  • Are mu rhythms sensitive to processing of facial

expressions?

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Understanding Facial Expressions

Anger Happy Disgust

Emotion versus gender discrimination task

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Results

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Results (cont.)

r = -0.5 r = -0.04 r = 0.73

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Autism Spectrum Disorder

  • ASD shows impairments in:
  • social interactions
  • delayed/abnormal language

development

  • behavior

Impaired imitation Repetitive patterns of

behavior

  • No common underlying

mechanism

  • Deficits in imitation learning

(Rogers and Pennington, 1991)

  • Deficits in mirror neuron

system (Williams et al., 2001)

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Activation for Imitation of Facial Emotions

Dapretto et al., Nat Neurosci., 2006

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Hypothesis

  • If mu rhythms reflect MNS activity and the capacity to

understand actions as well as learn through imitation, then autistics should show differences in mu rhythms compared to controls

Oberman et al., Cog. Brain Res. 2005, 24: 190-198

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Experimental Paradigm

  • Measured mu power (2 min of

EEG) in normals (n=12) and autistics (n=10) under different conditions:

  • Self-movement of hand
  • Watching video of someone

moving their hand

  • Watching a video of a ball

moving up and down

Oberman et al., Brain Res Cogn Brain Res. 2005, 24(2):190-8.

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Results

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Is the Mirror Broken and Unrepairable?

Oberman et al., Neuropsychologia, 2008

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Creating a Temporary “Autistic” Brain

Inferior parietal lobule Superior temporal sulcus Inferior frontal gyrus Sensorimotor cortex

RATIONALE

If mirror neurons in IFG are involved in the direct modulation of sensorimotor mu rhythms, then temporary inhibition

  • f these neurons should

prevent suppression of mu rhythms and cause “autistic-like” behaviors.

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Method

Measured EEG in typically developing adults (n= 8) before and after IFG stimulation

Observation of movement

(4 videos)

Simple (hand

movements) and complex (social interactions)

Baron-Cohen’s Eyes Task Emotion and gender

discrimination

  • 1 Hz rTMS (5 min at ~ 40-

50% absolute threshold) targeted at left IFG

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SLIDE 39

Eyes Task

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Results

Accuracy Reaction Time

5 10 15 20 25 30

Emotion Recognition Gender Recognition Reaction Time (sec) Before IFG stimulation After IFG stimulation

0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1

Emotion Recognition Gender Recognition Accuracy Before IFG stimulation After IFG stimulation

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Results

IFG STIMULATION

  • 0.1
  • 0.08
  • 0.06
  • 0.04
  • 0.02

0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1

C3 C4 C3 C4 SIMPLE COMPLEX

MOVEMENT TYPE

MU SUPPRESSION

PRE POST

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Neurofeedback Training Rationale

Frontoparietal areas in an ASD brain may be underconnected If we change the dynamics of the sensorimotor mu oscillations, And these oscillations are functionally linked to the MNS network (IFG, IPL, STS), Then we may change functional connectivity via neuroplasticity and recover MNS engagement, leading to positive changes.

IPL STS SM Cortex IFG

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Reversing Social Deficits in Autism

  • Training
  • 30 min x 3/week x 10 weeks
  • HF ASD: 7-17 yr olds; n=20
  • Experimental/Control groups
  • Mu activity above threshold (E)
  • EMG activity below threshold

(E/C)

Pineda et al., Research in ASD, 2008

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Assessments

  • Verification of diagnosis (IQ, ADI,

ADOS)

  • Quantitative EEG (QEEG)
  • Test of Variable Attention (TOVA)
  • Imitation ability (De Renzi’s

Apraxia imitation test)

  • Mu suppression index (MSI)
  • Autism Treatment Evaluation

Checklist (ATEC - parental assessment)

  • Neuroimaging (fMRI, fcMRI)
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Interpreting Facial Expressions: Nonverbal

Emotion/Gender discrimination

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Decoding Thoughts and Intentions

Mental attribution Physical causation

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Behavioral Performance

R2 = 0.7068 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 SESSIONS (HITS/MIN)*THRESH R2 = 0.7673 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 5 10 15 20 25 SESSIONS (HITS/MIN)*THRESH

ASD TD

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Mu-Suppression Normalizes Following Training

Baseline Hand Social

MU SUPPRESSION INDEX

  • 0.1
  • 0.08
  • 0.06
  • 0.04
  • 0.02

0.02 0.04 0.06

HAND SOCIAL HAND SOCIAL PRE-TRAINING POST-TRAINING LOG [CONDITION/BASELINE] CONTROLS EXPERIMENTALS

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Positive Changes in Sustained Attention

Improved ability to maintain attention in experimental group

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Positive Changes in Parental Assessment

Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist

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Imitation

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Future: Neuroimaging Techniques

structural Diffusion Tensor Imaging Functional connectivity functional

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A Fundamental Feature of Brain Organization?

“Understanding others as intentional agents may be grounded in the relational nature of our interactions with the world”

  • Beyond understanding actions
  • emotions: the root of empathy?
  • sounds and other senses
  • language
  • Other problems in “mirroring”
  • Aberrant imitation learning: addiction?
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What Is It Like To Be…?

Can aspects of subjective experience be reduced to brain activity?

Thomas Nagel, The Philosophical Review 83 (1974).

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Collaborators and Students

  • Adrienne Moore
  • Rajiv Rao
  • Chris Robinson
  • Hanie Elfenbein
  • Alex Bressler
  • Steven Thurman
  • Jena Davis
  • Dong Suk
  • Christa Futagaki
  • Judith Kaye
  • Lee Edwards
  • Ralph-Axel Mueller
  • Brandon Keehn
  • Oriana Clark
  • Jia-Min Bai
  • Derrick Asher
  • Dane Chambers
  • Matt Earhardt
  • Heather Pelton
  • Alicia Trigerio
  • Albert Ayala
  • Stephen Johnson
  • Steve Gilmore
  • Nick Pojman
  • Vilayanur

Ramachandran

  • Lindsay Oberman
  • Eric Altschuler
  • Andrey Vankov
  • Bill Skinner
  • Chulie Ulloa
  • Brendan Allison
  • Ed Hubbard
  • Joe McCleery
  • Erin Hecht
  • David Brang
  • Scott Carey
  • Kelly Head