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12 - The development of grasping and the mirror system

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2009

By
Erhan Oztop ,
Michael A. Arbib  and
Nina Bradley
Edited by
Michael A. Arbib
Erhan Oztop
Affiliation:
JST-ICORP Computational Brain Project, ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories, Kyoto 619-0288, Japan
Michael A. Arbib
Affiliation:
Computer Science Department, Neuroscience Program and USC Brain Project, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
Nina Bradley
Affiliation:
Department of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
Michael A. Arbib
Affiliation:
University of Southern California
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Summary

Introduction: a mirror system perspective on grasp development

Neonates and young infants are innately compelled to move their arms, the range of possible spontaneous movements being biologically constrained by anatomy, environmental forces, and social opportunity. Over the first 9 postnatal months, reaching movements are transformed as infants establish an array of goal-directed behaviors, master basic sensorimotor skills to act on those goals, and acquire sufficient knowledge of interesting objects to preplan goal-directed grasping. In monkeys, it appears that the neural circuit for control of grasping also functions to understand the manual actions of other primates and humans (Arbib, Chapter 1, this volume). Within the grasp circuitry, “mirror neuron” activity encodes both the manual actions executed by the monkey and the observed goal-directed actions of others. Recent imaging studies on humans indicate that a mirror neuron network may exist in humans linking observation and execution functions. However, the link between grasp development and mirror system development is widely unexplored. To address this, we will build models based both on behavioral data concerning the course of development of reaching in human infants and on neurophysiological data concerning mirror neurons and related circuitry in macaque monkeys.

In humans, the foundation for reaching may begin as early as 10–15 weeks of fetal development when fetuses make hand contact with the face and exhibit preferential sucking of the right thumb (de Vries et al., 1982; Hepper et al., 1991).

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Action to Language via the Mirror Neuron System , pp. 397 - 423
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2006

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  • The development of grasping and the mirror system
    • By Erhan Oztop, JST-ICORP Computational Brain Project, ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories, Kyoto 619-0288, Japan, Michael A. Arbib, Computer Science Department, Neuroscience Program and USC Brain Project, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA, Nina Bradley, Department of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
  • Edited by Michael A. Arbib, University of Southern California
  • Book: Action to Language via the Mirror Neuron System
  • Online publication: 01 September 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511541599.013
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  • The development of grasping and the mirror system
    • By Erhan Oztop, JST-ICORP Computational Brain Project, ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories, Kyoto 619-0288, Japan, Michael A. Arbib, Computer Science Department, Neuroscience Program and USC Brain Project, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA, Nina Bradley, Department of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
  • Edited by Michael A. Arbib, University of Southern California
  • Book: Action to Language via the Mirror Neuron System
  • Online publication: 01 September 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511541599.013
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • The development of grasping and the mirror system
    • By Erhan Oztop, JST-ICORP Computational Brain Project, ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories, Kyoto 619-0288, Japan, Michael A. Arbib, Computer Science Department, Neuroscience Program and USC Brain Project, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA, Nina Bradley, Department of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
  • Edited by Michael A. Arbib, University of Southern California
  • Book: Action to Language via the Mirror Neuron System
  • Online publication: 01 September 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511541599.013
Available formats
×