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Links between mirror neurons in the ventral premotor cortex of the macaque and Broca's area of the human Akira Murata 1 , Mari Kumashiro 2 1Department of Physiology, Kinki University School of Medicine 2Section of Congnitive Neurobiology, Department of Maxillofacial Biology, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Keyword: ミラーニューロン , Broca野 , 模倣 , コミュニケーション pp.684-693
Published Date 2003/10/10
DOI https://doi.org/10.11477/mf.1431100351
  • Abstract
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 In this article, we try to discuss common neuronal mechanisms for communication in the macaque monkey and human. In the monkey ventral premotor cortex(F5), mirror neurons were found by Rizzolatti's group(Rizzolatti et al, 1996). These neurons were active during execution of the hand or mouth action and the observing same action made by another individual. Since these neurons coded the visual representation of action onto the motor representation, they call it direct-matching system. Mirror neurons were recorded also in a part of the inferior parietal cortex(area PF). A cluster of neurons in the superior temporal sulcus(STSa)was responded during observing biological motion. F5, PF and STSa construct a network for the action recognition;mirror system. Rizzolatti and Arbib(1998)suggested that mirror system might be precursor of the language system. However, it seems that there are long distance between the human language and mirror system. The problem is that the function of mirror neurons in the premotor cortex of the macaque is still uncertain, because it is usually accepted that the ability of communication and imitation in the monkey are very limited.

 However, recent behavioral studies revealed that the monkeys could establish bidirectional communication with joint attention by eye gaze and pointing, which is a basic communicative behavior. Furthermore, Kumashiro et al.(2003)have found that joint attention develops the ability of imitation in the monkeys. This means that as in the human development the imitation has a tight connection with the communication in the monkey. Direct matching of the observed action and internal motor representation should be useful for imitation. Joint attention per se may include a component of eye gaze or pointing recognition by others and overt execution by own. The idea is that systems for imitation and communication might share a common neural circuit, namely mirror system in the monkeys. Gallese&Goldman(1998)suggested that mirror neurons might be related to simulation theory, in which systems predicted internal representation in the other individuals. Actually resent computational neuroscience studies showed that the communication and imitation could be achieved by the common computational principles, based on simulation theory.

 The verbal communication may be on the same line. Recently, sound mirror neurons were found in the monkey F5, which were activated during hearing sound of action and executing same action(Kohler et al, 2002). Also in the human, transcranial magnetic stimulation study revealed that speech listening facilitated motor evoked potential from the listeners'tongue muscles when the presented words involved tongue movement(Fadiga et al, 2002). These evidences demonstrate that both in the monkey and human mirror system involve direct matching of the hearing action and internal motor representation, and this may be useful for communication, predicting internal representation of others by speech or sounds.

 Cytoarchitectonically, it is suggested that at least area 44, part of Broca's area, is the human homologous of monkey F5. Neuroimaging studies showed that area 44 was activated with movement control or imitation of the hand. Broca's area may be concerned with not only verbal function, but also sensory motor control. Language production per se includes aspects of sensory motor control. In conclusion, the ability of language communication may have some links from monkey's sensory motor control system, namely mirror system involved ventral premotor cortex.


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電子版ISSN 1882-1243 印刷版ISSN 0001-8724 医学書院

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