Authors
Mirella Dapretto, Mari S Davies, Jennifer H Pfeifer, Ashley A Scott, Marian Sigman, Susan Y Bookheimer, Marco Iacoboni
Publication date
2006/1/1
Journal
Nature neuroscience
Volume
9
Issue
1
Pages
28-30
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group UK
Description
To examine mirror neuron abnormalities in autism, high-functioning children with autism and matched controls underwent fMRI while imitating and observing emotional expressions. Although both groups performed the tasks equally well, children with autism showed no mirror neuron activity in the inferior frontal gyrus (pars opercularis). Notably, activity in this area was inversely related to symptom severity in the social domain, suggesting that a dysfunctional 'mirror neuron system' may underlie the social deficits observed in autism.
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Scholar articles
M Dapretto, MS Davies, JH Pfeifer, AA Scott, M Sigman… - Nature neuroscience, 2006