|
An Emotional Mirror Mechanism |
Apart from the mirror mechanism found in the motor system, there seems to be good evidence for a similar mechanism for the perception of emotion. Dr. Rizzolatti notes that the same regions that are active when one is in pain are the same as the... |
Giacomo Rizzolatti |
goCognitive |
00:03:22 |
|
Autism |
One of the research areas that the identification of a mirror mechanism has inspired is autism research. Autism is a neurological disorder that is characterized by an impaired ability to process social cues, as well as a delay of motor... |
Giacomo Rizzolatti |
goCognitive |
00:05:47 |
|
Becoming a Neurophysiologist |
This video describes the academic journey of Dr. Rizzolatti as a neurophysiologist. He describes that he was trained as a visual neurophysiologist and became interested in the motor system while performing research related to eye movements. This... |
Giacomo Rizzolatti |
goCognitive |
00:02:49 |
|
Critics of a Mirror Mechanism |
General criticisms against the idea of mirror neurons in humans stem from the idea that humans are unique and are a “special” species. Some psychologists have a difficult time accepting that a simple mechanism such as mirror neurons adequately... |
Giacomo Rizzolatti |
goCognitive |
00:02:13 |
|
Giacomo Rizzolatti - Mirror Neurons |
In this interview, Dr. Giacomo Rizzolatti of the University of Parma, Italy, describes his discovery of a unique type of neurons in the human motor cortex. These neurons respond both when a person initiates a particular action, as well as when the... |
Giacomo Rizzolatti |
goCognitive |
|
|
Inhibition of Action by the Frontal Cortex |
Mirror neurons fire upon observation of an action and “mirror” the behavior of others (as though the observer were itself acting). Dr. Giacomo Rizzolatti discusses why we do not immediately imitate actions upon observing them. The main reason is... |
Giacomo Rizzolatti |
goCognitive |
00:02:06 |
|
Initial Reaction |
The original paper about mirror neurons was initially rejected by a top scientific journal for lack of broad interest. When it published in another journal, the reception was extremely positive and widespread. Dr. Rizzolatti discusses some of the... |
Giacomo Rizzolatti |
goCognitive |
00:03:19 |
|
Mirror Mechanisms Application in Neurorehabilitation |
Dr. Giacomo Rizzolatti’s study shows that mirror neurons fire when the subject observes or performs a specific action and that it also activates the motor cortex simply by observation. Therefore, he explains that this activation of the mirror neuron... |
Giacomo Rizzolatti |
goCognitive |
00:04:38 |
|
Mirror Neurons: From Monkeys to Humans |
Dr. Giacomo Rizzolatti explains how he discovered mirror neurons in humans. Once he discovered the existence of mirror neurons in monkeys, he decided to investigate if the same mechanisms existed in humans and found that they are, in fact, present.... |
Giacomo Rizzolatti |
goCognitive |
00:07:24 |
|
Observation and Skill Learning |
Mirror neurons help in skill acquisition by mere observation. That is, they allow us to learn skills simply by watching. It has also been shown that rehearsing or repeating an action is beneficial to skill learning. Dr. Giacomo Rizzolatti explains... |
Giacomo Rizzolatti |
goCognitive |
00:02:00 |
