Nadel Jacqueline
CNRS Centre Emotion, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, La Salpêtriere Hospital, Paris, France.
Dev Med Child Neurol. 2015 Apr;57 Suppl 2:55-8. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.12689.
This paper focuses on the key function of imitation in motor and social development of typically developing infants and low-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We suggest that it might also be a developmental cornerstone for other neurodevelopmental disorders. Why this suggestion? First, imitation just requires relating one's motor patterns to perceived motor patterns. This is always possible if the actions seen are not beyond the individual's motor scope; for instance, newborn infants can already imitate tongue protrusion, eye blinking, or mouth opening, because these movements are part of their foetal repertoire. Second, imitation is a 'use it or lose it' capacity: the more it is used, the more the repertoire grows (plasticity). Finally, imitation is an efficient tool for two main adaptive functions: learning and communication. Imitation-based communication is available through the use of the two facets of imitation: imitating and being imitated. The two facets afford two roles that the partners can exchange as a turn-taking while they synchronize matched activities. Neuroimaging studies of interactive imitation have shown that such communicative systems involve a coordination of bottom-up and top-down processes. In this line, imitation is a booster of development that can also be of benefit for children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
本文重点关注模仿在正常发育婴儿及低功能自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）儿童的运动和社交发展中的关键作用。我们认为，它也可能是其他神经发育障碍的发展基石。为何会有此观点呢？首先，模仿仅需将自身的运动模式与所感知到的运动模式联系起来。如果所看到的动作未超出个体的运动范围，这总是可行的；例如，新生儿就已经能够模仿伸舌头、眨眼或张嘴，因为这些动作是他们胎儿时期技能的一部分。其次，模仿是一种“用进废退”的能力：使用得越多，技能储备就增长得越多（可塑性）。最后，模仿是实现两种主要适应功能的有效工具：学习和交流。基于模仿的交流可通过模仿的两个方面来实现：模仿和被模仿。这两个方面赋予了伙伴在同步匹配活动时可以轮流交换的两种角色。交互式模仿的神经影像学研究表明，此类交流系统涉及自下而上和自上而下过程的协调。就此而言，模仿是发展的助推器，对神经发育障碍儿童也有益处。
