Activity of Mirror Neurons and Its Effect on Various Diseases

Abstract

Research on the neuroanatomical structure and functionality of mirror neurons has increased considerably in recent years. Especially in the treatment approaches applied in neurological and orthopedic patient groups, active applications with the participation of the patient are preferred instead of passive applications. One of the main reasons for this is to aim to make the treatment permanent by including mirror neurons and the primary motor cortex. Revealing the functional and dysfunctional states of mirror neurons makes a great contribution to understanding the symptoms of patients in treatment sessions. With the planned mirror therapy, especially by activating mirror neurons, patients restructure their neuronal connections and provide neuroplastic activity, thus contributing to the healing processes. Although the structural features of the diseases in which the activation of mirror neurons takes place in the literature differ, it is possible to say that mirror neurons are activated as a common feature and contribute to the treatment. In the treatment applications, it has been determined that even in cases where the relevant functional movement is not physically performed by the patient, the cognitive imagery of the movement increases the well-being of the patient by activating the mirror neurons.

Keywords

• Neuroanatomy
• mirror neuron
• neurocognitive disorders

Ayna Nöronların Aktivitesi ve Çeşitli Hastalıklar Üzerine Etkisi

Abstract

Ayna nöronların nöroanatomik yapılanması ve işlevselliğinin araştırılması son yıllarda oldukça artmıştır. Özellikle nörolojik ve ortopedik hasta gruplarında uygulanan tedavi yaklaşımlarında pasif uygulamalar yerine hastanın katılımının olduğu aktif uygulamalar tercih edilmektedir. Bunun temel sebeplerinden birisi ayna nöronları ve birincil motor korteksi dâhil ederek tedaviyi kalıcı hale getirmeyi amaçlamaktır. Ayna nöronların fonksiyonel ve disfonksiyonel durumlarını ortaya koymak, tedavi seanslarında hastaların semptomlarını anlamada çok büyük katkı sağlamaktadır. Özellikle ayna nöronları aktive ederek planlanan ayna terapisi ile hastalar nöronal bağlantılarını yeniden yapılandırarak nöroplastik aktivite sağlarlar ve böylece iyileşme süreçlerine katkıda bulunmuş olurlar. Literatür taramalarında ayna nöronların aktivasyonlarının yer aldığı hastalıkların yapısal özellikleri birbirinden farklı olsa da ortak özellik olarak ayna nöronların aktive edilerek tedaviye katkı sağladığını söylemek mümkündür. Yapılan tedavi uygulamalarında, ilgili fonksiyonel hareketin hasta tarafından fiziksel olarak yapılmadığı durumlarda dahi bilişsel olarak hareketin yapıldığının imgelenmesi, ayna nöronları aktive ederek hastanın iyilik halini arttırdığı belirlenmiştir. 

Keywords

• Nöroanatomi
• ayna nöron
• nörobilişsel bozukluklar

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