Empathy is a fundamental psychological phenomenon for life in society, allowing an individual to share and understand the emotional states of another. From a neuroscience perspective, this process is closely linked to the functioning of mirror neurons — a neural system that is activated both when we perform an action and when we observe another person performing the same action. This article aims to discuss, based on a systematic review of the literature, the role of mirror neurons in human empathy, their anatomical locations, their functioning, and the consequences of their dysfunction, especially in disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and psychopathy.
Mirror neurons were initially discovered in the ventral premotor cortex and inferior parietal lobule of monkeys, and their existence was later inferred in humans through functional neuroimaging studies. In the human brain, these cells are located in the premotor cortex, supplementary motor area, primary somatosensory cortex, and inferior parietal cortex. In addition to responding to motor stimuli, these neurons also participate in affective processes, being activated by observations of other people’s emotional expressions and sensations (Elvaretta et al., 2023).
The activation of mirror neurons provides the neurobiological basis for empathy through a mechanism of internal simulation. When we observe another individual feeling pain or joy, areas such as the anterior insula and the anterior cingulate cortex are activated, suggesting that the brain internally simulates the observed experience. This mechanism allows for what is called affective resonance and is directly linked to affective and cognitive empathy — two fundamental components for recognizing and understanding other people’s emotions and intentions (Elvaretta et al., 2023).
The review also discusses that human empathy is composed of three distinct components: motor (related to the automatic imitation of observed behaviors), affective (emotional response congruent with the other person’s state), and cognitive (intentional understanding of another person’s emotional state). These processes are mediated by different brain areas, many of which are functionally associated with the mirror neuron system. Observing facial expressions of disgust, for example, activates the anterior insula even when the individual is not directly exposed to the stimulus that causes disgust, demonstrating the scope of this empathic simulation (Elvaretta et al., 2023).
However, mirror neuron dysfunction can seriously compromise these empathic capacities. In the case of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), fMRI studies demonstrate a significant decrease in mirror neuron activation, especially in tasks involving observation of actions or emotional expressions. This may explain the difficulty autistic children have in understanding social cues and responding appropriately to them. The “broken mirror” hypothesis proposes that failures in this system underlie many clinical manifestations of autism, including difficulty in imitation, impairment in nonverbal language, and limitations in building social bonds (Elvaretta et al., 2023).
In addition to autism, psychopathy represents another relevant example. Individuals with this disorder have preserved cognitive empathy—the ability to understand the emotions and intentions of others—but have a severe deficit in affective empathy. Functional analysis of regions associated with the mirror neuron system, such as the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and the inferior frontal gyrus, demonstrates a reduced emotional response to the suffering of others, although rational understanding of that suffering is present. This dissociation allows the psychopath to manipulate the emotions of others without genuine emotional involvement, which represents a major failure in the empathy circuit (Elvaretta et al., 2023).
In methodological terms, the article is based on a systematic review of national and international scientific literature, using as main sources Google Scholar and Scopus. The analysis integrates evidence from studies in animals, neuroimaging in humans, as well as experiments with tactile synesthesia and sensory simulations that reinforce the role of the mirror neuron system as a link between perception, action and emotion.
In short, mirror neurons provide a bridge between the internal and external world, allowing the experiential simulation of the other. Their dysfunction compromises central aspects of social cognition, and their study contributes significantly to the advancement of neuropsychology. The identification of these mechanisms not only broadens the understanding of empathy, but also provides relevant clues for therapeutic strategies aimed at neurodevelopmental disorders and personality disorders. This is a promising area of research that still requires more in-depth investigations to elucidate the specific circuits involved and their interactions with other brain systems.
Reference:
ELVARETTA, Maria Leony; DHUHA, Nurul Azizah; ZEFANYA, Natasha; TARA, Lativa; PRADNYANDARI, Ni Nyoman Putri. Mirror Neuron dalam Proses Empati Manusia kerusakan / Disfungsi yang Terjadi pada Mirror Neuron. Psyche 165 Journal, [Sl], v. 16, no. 4, p. 340-346, 2023. DOI: 10.35134/jpsy165.v16i4.311. Available at: https://jpsy165.org/ojs. Accessed on: 18 June. 2025.
