The mirror neuron system: How cognitive functions emerge from motor organization

In the cortical motor system, matching between motor representations and sensory inputs allows the emergence of different types of cognitive abilities. One of these matching mechanisms is represented by monkey mirror neurons that activate both when a monkey executes a goal-related motor act and when it observes a similar motor act performed by another individual. The mirror neuron matching system that probably underlies action understanding has been demonstrated also in humans. In this article the main features of mirror neurons and the findings demonstrating their relevance for intention and emotion understanding in humans will be described and discussed.