New Frontiers in Mirror Neurons Research

Edited by Pier Francesco Ferrari and Giacomo Rizzolatti

A timely, state of the art review of one of the major neuroscientific discoveries of the past twenty years, including contributions from those who made the seminal discovery and those who have continued to explore the topic
Includes chapters covering both theoretical and clinical work from a collection of leading figures in the brain sciences

New Frontiers in Mirror Neurons Research

Edited by Pier Francesco Ferrari and Giacomo Rizzolatti

Description

The discovery of mirror neurons caused a revolution in neuroscience and psychology. Nevertheless, because of their profound impact within life sciences, mirror neuron are still the subject of numerous debates concerning their origins and their functions. With more than 20 years of research in this area, it is timely to synthesise the expanding literature on this topic.

'New frontiers in Mirror Neurons' provides a comprehensive overview of the latest advances in mirror neurons research - accessible both to experts and to non-experts. In the book, leading scholars draw on the latest research to examine methodological approaches, theoretical implications, and the latest findings on mirror neurons research.

A broad range of topics are covered within the book: basic findings and new concepts in action-perception theory, functional properties and evolution, development, and clinical implications. In particular, the last two sections of the book outline the importance of the plasticity and development of the mirror neuron system. This knowledge will be key in future research for helping us understand possible disorders associated with impairments in the mirror neurons system, as well as in helping us design new therapeutic tools for interventions within the field of neurodevelopmental disorders and in neurorehabilitation.

'New Frontiers in Mirror Neurons' is an exciting new work for neuroscientists, psychologists, and philosophers of mind.

New Frontiers in Mirror Neurons Research

Edited by Pier Francesco Ferrari and Giacomo Rizzolatti

Section 1. Basic findings and concepts in action-perception theory
1:The neuroanatomy of the mirror neuron system, Stefano Rozzi
2:The role of mirror neurons in goal coding and intention understanding, Leonardo Fogassi and Luca Bonini
3:New properties of F5 Mirror Neurons and their implications for response selection, Jörn K. Pomper, Dan Arnstein, Vittorio Caggiano, Martin Giese, and Peter Thier
4:MEG studies in action observation, Riitta Hari
5:How to study the mirror neuron system with functional MRI: challenges and solutions, Kristina Grigaityte and Marco Iacoboni
Section 2. Functional properties and evolution
6:Neural underpinnings of anticipatory action simulation and perception in expert brains, Lucia Maria Sacheli, Salvatore Maria Aglioti,and Matteo Candidi
7:The mirror system in human and non-human primates: comparative functional imaging studies suggest multiple systems, Guy A. Orban
8:On Gesture and Speech, Maurizio Gentilucci, Doriana De Marco, and Elisa De Stefani
9:Mirror Neurons in the Songbird Brain:A Neural Interface for Learned Vocal Communication, Jonathan F. Prather, and Richard Mooney
10:Mirrors match minds, Simone Schütz-Bosbach and Wolfgang Prinz
11:Epigenetic regulation of mirror neurons' development and related evolutionary hypotheses, Antonella Tramacere, Pier F. Ferrari, and Atsushi Iriki
Section 3. Development
12:Relating the ontogeny and function of mirror neurons to perceptual learning and inference, James J. M. Kilner
13:The Mirror Neuron System and the Mu Rhythm, Kathryn H. Yoo and Nathan A. Fox
14:On the development of the mirror neuron system, Claes von Hofsten and K. Rosander
15:Neonatal imitation and its sensory-motor mechanism, Elizabeth A. Simpson, Annika Paukner, Stephen J. Suomi, and Pier F. Ferrari
16:Mirroring and the ontogeny of social cognition, Courtney Filippi and Amanda Woodward
Section 4. Theoretical and clinical implications
17:The space of mirror, Corrado Sinigaglia and Giacomo Rizzolatti
18:Schizophrenia, bodily selves and embodied simulation, Vittorio Gallese and Francesca Ferri
19:Observing and imitating others to recover motor functions in patients with neurological disorders, Giovanni Buccino and Riccardo Dalla Volta
20:Role of the Mirror Neuron System in the Pathophysiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders, Lindsay M. Oberman and Vilayanur S. Ramachandran

New Frontiers in Mirror Neurons Research

Edited by Pier Francesco Ferrari and Giacomo Rizzolatti

Author Information

Edited by Pier Francesco Ferrari, Associate Professor, Department of Neuroscience, University of Parma , Italy, and Giacomo Rizzolatti, Professor Emeritus, University of Parma, Italy

Pierfrancesco Ferrari is Associate Professor at the University of Parma, Italy, and Adjunct Professor at the University of Maryland, USA. Ferrari's current research focuses on the functional role and development of parietal and premotor cortical functions in relation to social cognitive processes in human and nonhuman primates. From 2007 to 2008, Ferrari served as Adjunct Scientist at the NIH, Bethesda, USA, conducting research on cortical development in relation to cognitive functions in macaque monkeys. Together with Giacomo Rizzolatti he is Director of the International School of Neurosciences "Sir John Eccles ", at the Ettore Majorana Centre in Erice, Italy.

Giacomo Rizzolatti has been President of the European Brain Behavior Society and Italian Society for Neuroscience. He is the Senior Scientist of the research team that discovered mirror neurons. His main research focus has been the role of the motor cortex in higher cognitive functions. He is member of Accademia dei Lincei, Académie des Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences. He is the recipient of several prizes: "Golgi Prize for Physiology", "George Miller Award", "Grawemeyer Prize ", Price of Asturias Prize for Science and Technology " Prix J.L. Signoret in Neuropsychologie " from the IPSEN Fondation, and the "Brain Prize from Lundbeck Foundation ".

Contributors:

Salvatore Maria Aglioti
Daniel Arnstein
Luca Bonini
Giovanni Buccino
Vittorio Caggiano
Matteo Candidi
Riccardo Dalla Volta
Doriana De Marco
Elisa De Stefani
Pier Francesco Ferrari
Francesca Ferri
Courtney Filippi
Leonardo Fogassi
Nathan A. Fox.
Vittorio Gallese
Maurizio Gentilucci
Martin Giese
Kristina Grigaityte
Riitta Hari
Claes von Hofsten
Marco Iacoboni
Atsushi Iriki
James J. M. Kilner
Richard Mooney
Lindsay M. Oberman
Guy A. Orban
Annika Paukner
Jörn K. Pomper
Jonathan F. Prather
Wolfgang Prinz
Giacomo Rizzolatti
Vilayanur S. Ramachandran
K. Rosander
Stefano Rozzi
Lucia Maria Sacheli
Simone Schütz-Bosbach
Elizabeth A. Simpson
Corrado Sinigaglia
Stephen J. Suomi
Peter Thier
Antonella Tramacere
Amanda Woodward.
Kathryn H. Yoo

New Frontiers in Mirror Neurons Research

Edited by Pier Francesco Ferrari and Giacomo Rizzolatti

Reviews and Awards

"This rare, one-of-a-kind book provides an excellent, integrated package of information about the mirror mechanism of the human brain, particularly mirror neurons, which control not only physical movements, but also perform numerous sophisticated acts of cognition." - Venkat Subramanian, Biz India Online News

"...suitable for both specialist neuroscientists and others who want to learn detailed facts about the mirror mechanisms" - Marios Kyriazis, New Frontiers in Mirror Neurons Research, Current Ageing Science, Vol 9, No 4

"This area of research is both extremely interesting with deep implications for neuroscience, and at the same time, it generates intense debate and controversy. [New Frontiers in Mirror Neurons Research] aims to discuss this subject matter in great detail and provide a varietyof opinions and viewpoints. It does so with remarkable success." - Current Aging Science Vol. 9 Issue No. 4, Marios Kyriazis