MIRROR NEURONS: THE ARENA OF SHEN AND HUN?
In 1992 an Italian neurophysiologist in Parma was doing brain research using macaque monkeys. They were specifically researching an area of the brain called F5, located in the premotor cortex. Area F5 contains millions of neurons that specialize in coding for one specific motor behaviour: actions of the hand, including grasping, holding, tearing and, most important, bringing objects (food) to the mouth. As Iacoboni explains " For every macaque these actions are as basic and essential as they come. We Homo Sapiens are grasping and manipulating objects from the moment we fumble for the snooze button in the morning until we adjust our pillows at bedtime. All in all, we perform hundreds, if not thousands, of grasping actions every day ." 1 That it why the Rizzolati team chose area F5 for close investigation. One day the neurophysiologist Vittorio Gallese was moving around the lab during a lull. A monkey was sitting quietly in the chair; sud...