Download The role of the motor system: from action execution to cognition

The role of the motor system: from action execution to cognition
Giovanni Buccino
Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche, Università Magna Graecia, Catanzaro
Experimental studies carried out over the last two decades have radically changed our knowledge
about the motor system. The discovery of mirror neurons in monkey brain and the evidence in the human
brain of a mirror mechanism, whose neural substrate most likely relies on mirror neurons, support the notion
that the motor system not only plays a role in the execution of actions but is also involved in understanding
actions and in coding the intentions of others’ actions. This experimental evidence bring further the role of
the motor system and extend its role to functions traditionally considered as cognitive. It is worth
underlining that motor experience and motor competence seem to be a necessary pre-requisite for any
cognitive function. The mirror mechanism first described as related to mirror neurons seems to be a more
general functional mechanism in the brain, extending also to emotions and sensations: the neural substrates
active when processing the emotions and sensation felt by other people are also active when we ourselves
feel the same emotions and the same sensations. This in turn may constitute a biologically grounded link
between us and other individuals. As for canonical neurons, since these neurons are fundamental for coding
the properties of objects relevant for acting upon them, they may allow individuals to make experience of
the external world and interact with the environment in the most proper manner.