School of Psychology, Cardiff University, 70 Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK.
School of Psychology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT7 1NN, UK.
Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci. 2022 Apr;22(2):316-327. doi: 10.3758/s13415-021-00956-z. Epub 2021 Oct 12.
People tend to automatically imitate others' facial expressions of emotion. That reaction, termed "facial mimicry" has been linked to sensorimotor simulation-a process in which the observer's brain recreates and mirrors the emotional experience of the other person, potentially enabling empathy and deep, motivated processing of social signals. However, the neural mechanisms that underlie sensorimotor simulation remain unclear. This study tests how interfering with facial mimicry by asking participants to hold a pen in their mouth influences the activity of the human mirror neuron system, indexed by the desynchronization of the EEG mu rhythm. This response arises from sensorimotor brain areas during observed and executed movements and has been linked with empathy. We recorded EEG during passive viewing of dynamic facial expressions of anger, fear, and happiness, as well as nonbiological moving objects. We examine mu desynchronization under conditions of free versus altered facial mimicry and show that desynchronization is present when adult participants can freely move but not when their facial movements are inhibited. Our findings highlight the importance of motor activity and facial expression in emotion communication. They also have important implications for behaviors that involve occupying or hiding the lower part of the face.
人们倾向于自动模仿他人的面部表情。这种反应被称为“面部模仿”，它与感觉运动模拟有关——在这个过程中，观察者的大脑会重现和镜像对方的情绪体验，从而可能产生同理心，并深入、主动地处理社交信号。然而，感觉运动模拟的神经机制仍不清楚。本研究通过要求参与者用嘴咬住笔来干扰面部模仿，以此测试这种方式对口轮匝肌肌电(electroencephalogram, EEG)中 μ 节律去同步化的影响，从而检验这种方式对人类镜像神经元系统活动的影响。该反应源自观察和执行动作时的感觉运动脑区，与同理心有关。我们在被动观看愤怒、恐惧和喜悦的动态面部表情以及非生物运动物体时记录了 EEG。我们在自由模仿和改变模仿的条件下检查 μ 去同步化，结果表明当成年参与者可以自由运动时会出现去同步化，而当他们的面部运动受到抑制时则不会出现去同步化。我们的发现强调了运动活动和面部表情在情感交流中的重要性。它们对视线下半部分的遮挡或隐藏行为也具有重要的启示意义。
