What are mirror neurons and why are they important?

The answer

Mirror neurons, first discovered in macaque monkeys in the 1990s by Giacomo Rizzolatti's team, are neurons that fire both when an individual performs an action and when they observe the same action performed by another. In humans, mirror neuron activity has been detected in the premotor cortex, supplementary motor area, somatosensory cortex, and inferior parietal lobule using fMRI and transcranial magnetic stimulation. These neurons are thought to play a role in understanding others' actions and intentions, learning through imitation, empathy, and language acquisition. Some researchers have proposed that mirror neuron dysfunction may contribute to the social difficulties seen in autism spectrum disorder, though this 'broken mirror' theory remains controversial. The discovery of mirror neurons has profoundly influenced theories of social cognition, suggesting that we understand others in part by internally simulating their actions.