Your brain on music (4) - mirror neurons

Some scientists were studying the brain mechanisms in monkeys responsible for movements such as reaching and grasping. They read the output from a single neuron in the monkey’s brain as the monkey reach for pieces of food. At one point, one of the scientists reached for a banana, and the monkey’s neuron started to fire - even though the monkey did not move. They have discovered mirror neurons.

Mirror neurons are those that fire when performing an action and when observing someone else performing that action. The purpose of mirror neurons is presumably to train and prepare the organism to make movements that it has not made before.

Mirror neurons may be what helps an infant learn to imitate the faces that parents make at them. They may also be firing when we see or hear musicians perform. Many musicians can play back a musical part on their instruments after they have heard it only once. Mirror neurons are likely involved in this ability.

I wish I have more of these mirror neurons.