Making Mirrors: Premotor Cortex Stimulation Enhances Mirror and Counter-mirror Motor Facilitation
Open accessAbstract
Mirror neurons fire during both the performance of an action and the observation of the same action being performed by another. These neurons have been recorded in ventral premotor and inferior parietal cortex in the macaque, but human brain imaging studies suggest that areas responding to the observation and performance of actions are more widespread. We used paired-pulse TMS to test whether dorsal as well as ventral premotor cortex is involved in producing mirror motor facilitation effects. Stimulation of premotor cortex enhanced mirror motor facilitation and also enhanced the effects of counter-mirror training. No differences were found between the two premotor areas. These results support an associative account of mirror neuron properties, whereby multiple regions that process both sensory and motor information have the potential to contribute to mirror effects.
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When transcranial magnetic stimulation is applied to M1 during passive action observation, the amplitude of motor evoked potentials recorded from muscles required to execute that action is greater than when observing a different action.
“When TMS is applied to M1 during passive action observation, the amplitude of the MEPs recorded from the muscles required to execute that action is greater than the amplitude of the MEPs recorded when observing a different action.”
From Mirror neurons: from origin to function (2014) · cites this paper as Catmur et al., 2011
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Self-citationAssociative (not Hebbian) learning and the mirror neuron system
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Eight problems for the mirror neuron theory of action understanding in monkeys and humans
Hickok, G. (2009) · Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience · doi:10.1162/jocn.2009.21189 · Cited by 887 · see citing works
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“…with the proportion of neurons in the premotor cortex exhibiting ‘‘mirror neuron’’-like profiles and yet such PMv neurons putatively influ- 696 Neuron 90, May 18, 2016 ence behavior (Kilner and Lemon, 2013) and impact on electromyographic activity at several synapses distance (Catmur et al., 2011).”
Self-citationThe role of shared neural activations, mirror neurons, and morality in empathy – A critical comment
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Acquisition of automatic imitation is sensitive to sensorimotor contingency.
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Non-invasive stimulation of the social brain: the methodological challenges
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- Authors
- Catmur, C., Mars, R. B., Rushworth, M. F., & Heyes, C.
- Affiliations
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Venue
- Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
- Publisher
- MIT Press
- Published
- 2011-09-01
- Volume
- 23
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 2352-2362
- ISSN
- 0898-929X (ISSN-L)
- 1530-8898
- OpenAlex
- W2096625159
- Cited by
- 152
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 24 · 2013: 18 · 2012: 21
- FWCI
- 21.43
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Surrey Research Insight Open Access (The University of Surrey) (submittedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- University of Surrey
- Medical Research Council
- Economic and Social Research Council (RES-538-28-1001)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Action Observation and Synchronization
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Motor Control and Adaptation
- Keywords
- mirror neurons, premotor cortex, dorsal premotor cortex, ventral premotor cortex, paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation, action observation, motor facilitation
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Attention, Brain Mapping, Electromyography, Female, Humans, Imitative Behavior, Male, Motor Cortex, Movement, Neuropsychological Tests, Psychomotor Performance, Reaction Time, Evoked Potentials, Motor, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Young Adult
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