Investigation of the activity of mirror neurons in humans at observation, pronunciation and mental pronunciation of words

The study of the role of mirror neurons in cognitive processes is an important problem of modern psychophysiology. Particular interest in this respect is the so-called mu-rhythm of 8-13 Hz, which is recorded in the central regions of the cortex and is not suppressed by visual and auditory stimulation. The purpose of the research was to study the correlation and spectral characteristics of the mu-rhythm in a person when observing, pronouncing and mentally reproducing emotional and neutral words. Statistically significant changes in the EEG spectral power compared to the background at the frequencies of the mu-rhythm in the central regions of the cortex were detected. This effect is stronger when observing and pronouncing an emotional word. The obtained data indicate that the mu-rhythm includes frequency bands that have different functional significance and demonstrate the activity of different neural network oscillators.