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Modulation of putative mirror neuron activity by both positively and negatively valenced affective stimuli: a TMS study
journal contribution
posted on 2013-07-01, 00:00 authored by Aron HillAron Hill, B Fitzgibbon, S Arnold, Nicole Rinehart, P Fitzgerald, Peter EnticottPeter EnticottResearch indicates that mirror neurons are important for social cognition, including emotion processing. Emerging evidence, however, also reveals that emotional stimuli might be capable of modulating human mirror neuron system (MNS) activity.
The current study used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to assess putative mirror neuron function following emotionally evocative images in twenty healthy adults.
Participants observed videos of either a transitive hand action or a static hand while undergoing TMS of the primary motor cortex. In order to examine the effect of emotion on the MNS, each video was preceded by an image of either a positive, negative or neutral valence.
MNS activity was found to be augmented by both the positive and negative (relative to neutral) stimuli, thus providing empirical support for a bi-directional link between emotion and the MNS, whereby both positively and negatively valenced stimuli are capable of facilitating mirror neuron activity. The potential adaptive significance of this finding is discussed.
The current study used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to assess putative mirror neuron function following emotionally evocative images in twenty healthy adults.
Participants observed videos of either a transitive hand action or a static hand while undergoing TMS of the primary motor cortex. In order to examine the effect of emotion on the MNS, each video was preceded by an image of either a positive, negative or neutral valence.
MNS activity was found to be augmented by both the positive and negative (relative to neutral) stimuli, thus providing empirical support for a bi-directional link between emotion and the MNS, whereby both positively and negatively valenced stimuli are capable of facilitating mirror neuron activity. The potential adaptive significance of this finding is discussed.
History
Journal
Behavioural brain researchVolume
249Pagination
116 - 123Publisher
Elsevier BVLocation
Amsterdam, The NetherlandsPublisher DOI
ISSN
0166-4328eISSN
1872-7549Language
engPublication classification
C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2013, ElsevierUsage metrics
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No categories selectedKeywords
electomyographyemotion processingmirror neuronssocial cognitiontranscranial magnetic stimulationScience & TechnologyLife Sciences & BiomedicineBehavioral SciencesNeurosciencesNeurosciences & NeurologyElectromyographyMOTOR CORTEX EXCITABILITYCORTICOSPINAL EXCITABILITYFACIAL EXPRESSIONSCORTICAL EXCITABILITYEMOTIONFACILITATIONPERCEPTIONSYSTEMMUSICMETAANALYSIS
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