AYNA NÖRON SİSTEMİ VE FONKSİYONLARINA KLİNİK YAKLAŞIM

Abstract

Mirror neurons were discovered in macaque monkeys in the early 1990s by Rizzolatti and his colleagues at the University of Parma. In studies investigating mirror neurons in humans, noninvasive methods of neuroimaging and electrophysiology have been used because the invasive methods used on macaque monkeys are not available. Several complex functions, including identification, evaluation, and imitation of action, empathy, learning, and memory, have been attributed to this neuron group since its discovery. Thus, the mirror neuron system is thought to be the bridge between cognition and action. This possible role in cognition shows the contribution of this system in some neurological and psychiatric diseases. With this perspective, studies on the pathology of the mirror neuron system in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and autism-spectrum and psychotic disorders are mentioned in this review, together with research on the possible involvement of the mirror neuron system in congenital mirror movement disorder. A re-evaluation of neurological and psychiatric diseases in light of new opinions on the organization of the brain following the discovery of mirror neurons may be helpful in understanding clinical features and establishing new methods of treatment and rehabilitation.

Keywords

• Mirror neurons
• mirror neuron system
• mirror neuron functions
• neurodegenerative diseases
• psychotic disorders
• autism spectrum disorder

A CLINICAL APPROACH TO THE MIRROR NEURON SYSTEM AND ITS FUNCTIONS

Abstract

Mirror neurons were discovered in macaque monkeys in the early 1990s by Rizzolatti and his team at the University of Parma. In mirror neuron studies on human, non-invasive methods of neuroimaging and electrophysiology have been used since the implication of the invasive methods, which have been used on macaque monkeys, is not available. Several complex functions such as identification, evaluation, and imitation of action; empathy; learning; and memory have been attributed to this neuron group since its discovery. Thus, the mirror neuron system is thought to be the bridge between cognition and action. This possible role in cognition shows the contribution of this system in some neurological and psychiatric diseases. With this perspective, the studies on the pathology of the mirror neuron system in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, autism-spectrum and psychotic disorders were mentioned in this review. Re-evaluation of the neurological and psychiatric diseases in the light of the new opinions on the organization of the brain following the discovery of mirror neurons, might be helpful to understand the clinical features and establish new ways for treatment and rehabilitation.

Keywords

• Mirror neuron system
• Mirror neurons
• Mirror neuron functions
• Neurodegenerative diseases
• Psychotic disorders
• Autism spectrum disorder

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