Distinct EEG Amplitude Suppression to Facial Gestures as Evidence for a Mirror Mechanism in Newborn Monkeys

Ferrari, Pier Francesco; Vanderwert, Ross E.; Paukner, Annika; Bower, Seth; Suomi, Stephen J.; Fox, Nathan A.

doi:10.1162/jocn_a_00198

Cited by 84 publications

(118 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Therefore, under the current experimental conditions, this frequency band could be considered an indirect correlate tapping the activity of the mirror mechanism. Recent work in newborn monkeys has shown that lower frequency bands recorded over frontal electrodes are suppressed during the observation and execution of facial gestures [40]. However, the frequencies sensitive to this set of stimuli were within the 5-6 Hz band; similar to the human alpha in infancy and consistent with developmental findings of the human infant mu rhythm.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

Frequency and topography in monkey electroencephalogram during action observation: possible neural correlates of the mirror neuron system

Coudé

Vanderwert

Thorpe

et al. 2014

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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The observation of actions executed by others results in desynchronization of electroencephalogram (EEG) in the alpha and beta frequency bands recorded from the central regions in humans. On the other hand, mirror neurons, which are thought to be responsible for this effect, have been studied only in macaque monkeys, using single-cell recordings. Here, as a first step in a research programme aimed at understanding the parallels between human and monkey mirror neuron systems (MNS), we recorded EEG from the scalp of two monkeys during action observation. The monkeys were trained to fixate on the face of a human agent and subsequently to fixate on a target upon which the agent performed a grasping action. We found that action observation produced desynchronization in the 19-25 Hz band that was strongest over anterior and central electrodes. These results are in line with human data showing that specific frequency bands within the power spectrum of the ongoing EEG may be modulated by observation of actions and therefore might be a specific marker of MNS activity.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

Frequency and topography in monkey electroencephalogram during action observation: possible neural correlates of the mirror neuron system

Coudé

Vanderwert

Thorpe

et al. 2014

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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“…First, the stimuli in the present study involved relatively simple motor activities that occurred in a neutral context. Although mu suppression is sensitive to observing emotional facial expressions in humans (Moore, Gorodnitsky, & Pineda, 2012), and even facial gestures in newborn monkeys (Ferrari et al, 2012), it remains to be determined how schizophrenia patients would perform on mu suppression tasks involving more complex socioemotional stimuli. Second, studies using other methods have suggested that mirroring-related processes are not fully intact in schizophrenia.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Some markers of mirroring appear intact in schizophrenia: evidence from mu suppression

Horan

Pineda

Wynn

et al. 2014

Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci

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Although schizophrenia is associated with impairments in social cognition, the scope and neural correlates of these disturbances are largely unknown. In this study, we investigated whether schizophrenia patients show impaired functioning of the mirror neuron system (MNS), as indexed by electroencephalographic (EEG) mu (8-13 Hz) suppression, a hypothesized biomarker of MNS activity that is sensitive to the degree of social interaction depicted in visual stimuli. A total of 32 outpatients and 26 healthy controls completed an EEG paradigm that included six action observation or execution conditions that differed in their degrees of social interaction. Participants also completed a validated empathy questionnaire. Across both groups, we found a significant linear increase in mu suppression across the conditions involving greater levels of social engagement and interaction, but no significant group or interaction effects. Patients self-reported diminished empathic concern and perspective taking, which showed some moderate relations to mu suppression levels. Thus, the schizophrenia group showed generally intact modulation of MNS functioning at the electrophysiological level, despite self-reporting empathic disturbances. The disturbances commonly seen on self-report, performance, and neuroimaging measures of mentalizing in schizophrenia may largely reflect difficulties with higher-level inferential processes about others' emotions, rather than a basic incapacity to share in these experiences.

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“…Specifically, we hypothesize that the mirror neuron system is a potential candidate for mediating some of the social effects of oxytocin. Recently, it was reported that, during the observation and imitation of facial gestures, such as LPS, specific brain rhythms (the mu rhythm) are desynchronized (71). These EEG changes may reflect the activity of cortical parietal-frontal networks, which are part of the mirror neuron system (72).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inhaled oxytocin increases positive social behaviors in newborn macaques

Simpson

Sclafani

Paukner

et al. 2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Early caregiver-infant interactions are critical for infants' socioemotional and cognitive development. Several hormones and neuromodulators, including oxytocin, affect these interactions. Exogenous oxytocin promotes social behaviors in several species, including human and nonhuman primates. Although exogenous oxytocin increases social function in adults-including expression recognition and affiliation-it is unknown whether oxytocin can increase social interactions in infants. We hypothesized that nebulized oxytocin would increase affiliative social behaviors and such effects would be modulated by infants' social skills, measured earlier in development. We also hypothesized that oxytocin's effects on social behaviors may be due to its anxiolytic effects. We tested these hypotheses in a blind study by nebulizing 7-to 14-d-old macaques (n = 28) with oxytocin or saline. Following oxytocin administration, infants' facial gesturing at a human caregiver increased, and infants' salivary oxytocin was positively correlated with the time spent in close proximity to a caregiver. Infants' imitative skill (measured earlier in development: 1-7 d of age) predicted oxytocin-associated increases in affiliative behaviors-lip smacking, visual attention to a caregiver, and time in close proximity to a caregiver-suggesting that infants with higher propensities for positive social interactions are more sensitive to exogenous oxytocin. Oxytocin also decreased salivary cortisol, but not stressrelated behaviors (e.g., scratching), suggesting the possibility of some anxiolytic effects. To our knowledge, this study provides the first evidence that oxytocin increases positive social behaviors in newborns. This information is of critical importance for potential interventions aimed at ameliorating inadequate social behaviors in infants with higher likelihood of developing neurodevelopmental disorder.imitation recognition | neonatal imitation | individual differences

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Distinct EEG Amplitude Suppression to Facial Gestures as Evidence for a Mirror Mechanism in Newborn Monkeys

Cited by 84 publications

References 37 publications

Frequency and topography in monkey electroencephalogram during action observation: possible neural correlates of the mirror neuron system

Frequency and topography in monkey electroencephalogram during action observation: possible neural correlates of the mirror neuron system

Some markers of mirroring appear intact in schizophrenia: evidence from mu suppression

Inhaled oxytocin increases positive social behaviors in newborn macaques

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