The Mirror Mechanism as Neurophysiological Basis for Action and Intention Understanding

Mirror neurons are neurons discovered in the premotor and parietal cortex that become active during observation and execution of motor acts indicating their crucial role in action understanding. There is, however, still controversy about their role in social cognition and its contribution to understanding others’ actions and intentions. Recent studies in monkeys and humans have shed light on the properties of the parieto-frontal mirror system and its functional relevance for cognition. We conclude that, although there are several mechanisms through which one can understand other individuals’ behavior, the parieto-frontal mirror mechanism is the only one that allows understanding others’ actions from the inside and gives the observing individual a first-person person grasp of other individuals’ motor goals and intentions.