A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE INFLUENCE OF MIRROR NEURONS IN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS

Resumo

The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of experimental studies performed to assess the role of mirror neurons in the pathophysiology of autism. Four papers reported that areas of mirror neurons (MN) were under-active in autistic patients, giving weight to the theory of MN as a cause of ASD. Three papers indicated that MN were activated during the proposed activities, advocating atypical activation of MN, but not necessarily hypoactivation of these areas. One of the articles reported that only part of the MN system or just those areas of interconnected neurons are dysfunctional in autism. Analysis of the selected studies showed a correlation between dysfunction of the mirror neuron system and the main symptoms of autism such as deficits in social cognition, complete absence or a reduction in the individual’s interaction with his/her social environment and a failure in the neural mechanisms of imitation.