発達とミラーニューロン

The Ontogeny of the Mirror Neuron System

行為の観察/実行を同じ表象フォーマットで照合する神経システムは，いつ，どのように成立するのだろうか。現時点で，ミラーニューロンの個体発生についてはいまだほとんど解明されていない。本稿では，ヒトのミラーニューロンシステムの個体発生を中心に，これまで明らかにされてきた研究の到達点を紹介する。さらに，ヒトのミラーニューロンシステムが種特有の社会的認知機能の発達に果たす役割について考察する。

Abstract

Humans utilize the mirror neuron system to understand and predict others' actions. However, the ontogeny of the mirror neuron system remains unknown. Whether mirror neuron function is an innate trait or whether mirror neurons acquire their sensorimotor matching properties ontogenetically remains to be clarified. In this paper, I review the ontogenetic theory of the mirror neuron system. I then discuss the functioning of the mirror neuron system in the context of social cognitive abilities, which are unique to humans. Recently, some researchers argue that it is too early to interpret the function of mirror neurons as an understanding of the underlying psychological states of others. They imply that such functioning would require inferential cognitive processes that are known to involve areas outside the mirror neuron system. Filling in this missing link may be the key to elucidating the unique ability of humans to understand others' actions.