Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Dev Cogn Neurosci. 2012 Jan;2(1):90-6. doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2011.05.006. Epub 2011 May 27.
Bidirectional action-effect associations play a fundamental role in intentional action control and the development of the mirror neuron system. However, it has been questioned if infants are able to acquire bidirectional action-effect associations (i.e., are able to intentionally control their actions). To investigate this, we trained 8-month-old infants for one week to use a novel rattle that produced a specific sound when shaken. Infants were also presented with another sound, which was not related to an action. Thereafter, infants' EEG responses to these two sounds and to an additional, unfamiliar sound were recorded. Infants displayed a stronger mu-desynchronization above cortical motor sites (i.e., motor resonance) when listening to the action-related sound than when hearing other sounds. Our results provide therefore electrophysiological evidence that infants as young as 8 months are able to acquire bidirectional action-effect associations and parallel findings of audiovisual mirror neurons in the monkey brain.
双向动作-效应关联在意图性行为控制和镜像神经元系统的发展中起着至关重要的作用。然而，人们质疑婴儿是否能够获得双向动作-效应关联（即能够有意地控制自己的动作）。为了研究这个问题，我们对 8 个月大的婴儿进行了为期一周的训练，让他们使用一种可以发出特定声音的新颖摇铃。婴儿还接触了另一种与动作无关的声音。此后，记录了婴儿对这两种声音和另外一种陌生声音的 EEG 反应。当婴儿听到与动作相关的声音时，其大脑皮质运动区域（即运动共鸣）的 mu 去同步化更强。因此，我们的研究结果提供了电生理学证据，表明年仅 8 个月大的婴儿能够获得双向动作-效应关联，并与猴子大脑中的视听镜像神经元的平行发现相一致。
