1. Mirrors, Nerves & Getting to know youwhat monkeys’ brains tell us about communication Keith Norman Occupational Therapy Student

2. Love ‘Love one another... as I have loved you.’ Jesus of Nazareth ‘Love is not the product of thought’ JidduKrishnamurti I'll be your dream I'll be your wish I'll be your fantasy. I'll be your hope I'll be your love Be everything that you need Savage Garden

3. The Art of Loving Evidence-based and outcome-oriented practice often overlook the importance of caring in professional relationships Unconditional love is vital to the development of the individual Acceptance (unconditional positive regard), empathy and genuineness (Rogers) Communication of empathic understanding and unconditional positive regard nurtures self-healing (Stickley and Freshwater 2002)

4. Unconditional love?

5. Love by another name? Stern (1985) Empathic Attunement Winnicott (1965) Holding Bion (1963) Container/contained Pines (1982) Mirroring

6. Reflections on Mirroring Mirror Mirroring Immediate/fleeting One-way Exact Unbiased Flat/two-dimensional Delayed/enduring Two-way An imitation Coloured by thoughts, judgements and pre-conditioning Layered, complex, multi-textured

7. Monkey Brains

8. Action and observation (Rizzolattihttp://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/589463_2)

9. Mirror Neurons Individual neurons fire when an action is performed and when it is observed or heard In macaques inferior frontal gyrus (region F5) and the inferior parietal lobule In humans inferior frontal cortex (close to Broca’s area) and superior parietal lobe Allow humans to understand others actions, but also emotions People who have high activity in brain regions associated with mirror neurons also score highly on empathy questionaires

17. Importance of mirror neurons? Allow others’ actions and intentions to be automatically understood/intuited Allow others actions and intentions to be automatically and appropriately responded to Works via insula with limbic system to allow understanding of others’ emotional state

18. Mirror Neurons and Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) Abnormal function of mirror neurons (pars opercularis) during action observation and imitation No activity in pars opercularis during facial expression recognition Lower activity in limbic (emotional) system during facial expression recognition Children with ASD able to imitate and name facial expressions do so using different neural strategies (Dapretto et al 2005)

19. Consequences of mirror neuron deficit in ASD Loss of a potential bridge between minds Critical for intersubjective understanding, attention sharing and social survival Imitation is critical for early development and learning (motor, language, behaviour) Loss of imaginative ability Behaviour restricted, repetitive & stereotyped (Williams et al, 2001)

20. Conflicting theories of mind ‘Theory theory’ Logical process based Observe others behaviours Theorize regarding mental/emotional state Predict behaviour and plan response ‘Simulation theory’ Intuition based Put self in other’s shoes Simulate mental processes operating in other Act in concert with other

21. ‘Theory theory’ Logical process based Observe others behaviours Theorize regarding mental/emotional state Predict behaviour and plan response ‘Simulation theory’ Intuition based Put self in other’s shoes Simulate mental processes operating in other Act in concert with other

22. True or False?

23. So what can we do differently now we know about mirror neurons? Find out more about them Trust in them (they give us lots of useful information) Be honest and genuine (the other person will know we’re faking, even if they don’t know that they know) Forgive others when they don’t seem to understand us (their mirror neurons might be broken)

24. Has any of this got anything to do with spinal injury?

25. Thanks – It’s been amazing