Lateralization of the Human Mirror Neuron System

摘要: A cortical network consisting of the inferior frontal, rostral parietal, and posterior superior temporal cortices has been implicated in representing actions primate brain is critical to imitation humans. This neural circuitry may be an evolutionary precursor systems associated with language. However, language predominantly lateralized left hemisphere, whereas degree lateralization humans unclear. We conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging study finger movements stimuli responses. During imitation, activity frontal parietal cortex, although fairly bilateral, was stronger hemisphere ipsilateral visual stimulus response hand. pattern at variance typical contralateral primary motor areas. Reliably increased signal right sulcus (STS) observed for both left-sided right-sided tasks, subthreshold also STS. Overall, data indicate that components human mirror system are not left-lateralized. The superiority language, then, must have favored by other types precursors, perhaps auditory or multimodal action representations.