有关镜像神经元起源问题上的争论

文章阐述了镜像神经元起源问题上的争论及其最新进展。镜像神经元的独特之处在于,它在动作知觉和动作执行两个阶段皆被激活。这一知觉和操作的匹配机制究竟是怎样形成的?遗传论观点认为镜像神经元的匹配机制是有机体适应环境的结果,由于镜像神经元具有理解他人动作意图的特殊功能,因而被自然选择,通过遗传而得到传递。联结论则主张这种匹配机制只不过是大脑皮层动作神经元对感觉刺激形成的一种条件反射,是个体经验的结果。镜像神经元的"进化-发展观"则采纳渐成论的观点,认为镜像神经元的起源和进化不可能是联结学习单独造就的,而是进化的、生物的、发展性的、社会认知方面的和基于经验的各种因素的联合作用。

About the debate of the origin and evolution of mirror neurons

In this article,the author provides a fresh review about the debate of the origin and evolution of mirror neurons.The striking property of mirror neurons is that they discharge during both the observation and the execution of a goal-directed movement.How the execution-observation matching mechanism of mirror neurons comes into being? The genetic account of the debate implies that the evolutionary origins of mirror neurons are the consequences of an adaption for the conditions of environment and social cognition.Because of facilitating the understanding of other's intention,it was favored by natural selection and got passed by heredity.The associative account suggests that mirror neurons emerged in the course of individual development.It was an acquired ability and came into being by the same learning process that produces Pavlovian conditioning.Most of the scholars in this field,however,prefer an evolutionary development biology (evo-devo) perspective,which adopt the epigenetic theory,and propose that associative learning along is insufficient for the origin and evolution of mirror neurons,but,rather,to be a result of a combination of evolutionary,biological,development,social influences.