Mirror neuron activity during contagious yawning—an fMRI study

Autor: Haker Helene, Kawohl Wolfram, Herwig Uwe, Rössler Wulf, Brühl Annette B, Beatrix Brühl Annette, Herwig U
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2018
Předmět:
Adult
Male
Brain activity and meditation
Cognitive Neuroscience
media_common.quotation_subject
Inferior frontal gyrus
Empathy
050105 experimental psychology
Young Adult
03 medical and health sciences
Behavioral Neuroscience
Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
0302 clinical medicine
Image Processing
Computer-Assisted
medicine
Humans
0501 psychology and cognitive sciences
Radiology
Nuclear Medicine and imaging
Mirror Neurons
Mirror neuron
media_common
medicine.diagnostic_test
05 social sciences
Neuropsychology
Cognition
Middle Aged
Imitative Behavior
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Temporal Lobe
Frontal Lobe
Oxygen
Psychiatry and Mental health
Neurology
Frontal lobe
Female
Yawning
Neurology (clinical)
Functional magnetic resonance imaging
Psychology
Photic Stimulation
030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Cognitive psychology
Zdroj: Brain imaging and behavior
Popis: Yawning is contagious. However, little research has been done to elucidate the neuronal representation of this phenomenon. Our study objective was to test the hypothesis that the human mirror neuron system (MNS) is activated by visually perceived yawning. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to assess brain activity during contagious yawning (CY). Signal-dependent changes in blood oxygen levels were compared when subjects viewed videotapes of yawning faces as opposed to faces with a neutral expression. In response to yawning, subjects showed unilateral activation of their Brodmann's area 9 (BA 9) portion of the right inferior frontal gyrus, a region of the MNS. In this way, two individuals could share physiological and associated emotional states based on perceived motor patterns. This is one component of empathy (motor empathy) that underlies the development of cognitive empathy. The BA 9 is reportedly active in tasks requiring mentalizing abilities. Our results emphasize the connection between the MNS and higher cognitive empathic functions, including mentalizing. We conclude that CY is based on a functional substrate of empathy.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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