So far we have not found any evidence to support the claim that the mirror neuron system is the "basis" of action understanding. In fact, all of the evidence discussed so far, refutes this claim. Let's see if we can find some evidence in the apraxia literature. Apraxic patients should have a deficit in comprehending gestures, and the underlying lesions should implicate the mirror system. Scanning some of the abstracts of the reading list below suggests the evidence is mixed.
Pazzaglia M, Smania N, Corato E, Aglioti SM.
Neural underpinnings of gesture discrimination in patients with limb apraxia.
J Neurosci. 2008 Mar 19;28(12):3030-41.
PMID: 18354006 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Halsband U, Schmitt J, Weyers M, Binkofski F, Grützner G, Freund HJ.
Recognition and imitation of pantomimed motor acts after unilateral parietal and premotor lesions: a perspective on apraxia.
Neuropsychologia. 2001;39(2):200-16.
PMID: 11163376 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Buxbaum LJ, Kyle K, Grossman M, Coslett HB.
Left inferior parietal representations for skilled hand-object interactions: evidence from stroke and corticobasal degeneration.
Cortex. 2007 Apr;43(3):411-23.
PMID: 17533764 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Saygin AP, Wilson SM, Dronkers NF, Bates E.
Action comprehension in aphasia: linguistic and non-linguistic deficits and their lesion correlates.
Neuropsychologia. 2004;42(13):1788-804.
PMID: 15351628 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Tessari A, Canessa N, Ukmar M, Rumiati RI.
Neuropsychological evidence for a strategic control of multiple routes in imitation.
Brain. 2007 Apr;130(Pt 4):1111-26. Epub 2007 Feb 9.
PMID: 17293356 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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