Cited by 472Action Observation and SynchronizationFace Recognition and PerceptionPrimate Behavior and Ecology

Expanding the mirror: vicarious activity for actions, emotions, and sensations

Keysers, Christian, Gazzola, Valeria·2009·Current Opinion in Neurobiology

Abstract

We often empathically share the states of others. The discovery of 'mirror neurons' suggested a neural mechanism for monkeys to share the actions of others. Here we expand this view by showing that mirror neurons for actions not only exist in the premotor cortex or in monkeys and that vicarious activity can also be measured for the emotions and sensations of others. Although we still need to empirically explore the function and development of these vicarious activations, we should stop thinking of vicarious brain activity as a peculiar property of the premotor cortex: instead it seems to be a very common phenomenon which leads social stimuli to recruit a wide range of seemingly private neural systems.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.conb.2009.10.006

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Authors
Keysers, C., & Gazzola, V.
Affiliations
Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (NL)
Corresponding author
Keysers, Christian
Venue
Current Opinion in Neurobiology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2009-12
Volume
19
Issue
6
Pages
666-671
ISSN
0959-4388 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2139426300
Cited by
472
References
54
Citations by year
2026: 34 · 2025: 24 · 2024: 25 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 30 · 2020: 27 · 2019: 34 · 2018: 45 · 2017: 27 · 2016: 28 · 2015: 22 · 2014: 25 · 2013: 41 · 2012: 37
FWCI
3.50
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Current Opinion in Neurobiology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • KNAW research portal (Royal Academy of Art and Sciences (KNAW)) (publishedVersion)
  • University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (publishedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
  • KNAW Research Portal (The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) (submittedVersion)
  • University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion)
Funders
European Commission
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Action Observation and Synchronization
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Primate Behavior and Ecology
Keywords
mirror neurons, empathy, emotional sharing, premotor cortex, social cognition, neural mechanisms of empathy
MeSH terms
Animals, Brain, Cognition, Emotions, Humans, Imitative Behavior, Models, Neurological, Neurons, Psychomotor Performance, Social Perception

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