Event:

In the last 20 years, the discovery of mirror neurons has sparked much interest and generated exciting research. In this talk, I will try to outline the evolution of how we think about mirror neurons with the aim of delineating the most promising lines of current and future research on this topic.

The single cell literature has evolved from the idea of mirror neurons as localized in specific fronto-parietal circuits to the idea of a mirror mechanism (subserved by mirror neurons) that is widespread and embedded in a number of neural systems. From a functional standpoint, while the early conceptualization of mirror neurons focused on coding goals and intentions, the later research developments suggest that what is mirrored is whatever is coded in the neural system in which mirror neurons are embedded.

The literature on markers of mirroring at neural systems level includes EEG, TMS, and fMRI. This literature has evolved from an initial phase of ’proving the existence’ of such mechanism in the human brain and mapping it in various conditions and/or populations, to later developments focused on the application of these markers in health and disease. These recent developments suggest that the key legacy of mirror neuron research will be more in its application than its theoretical implications.