{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,17]],"date-time":"2026-08-17T22:29:26Z","timestamp":1787005766201,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":56,"publisher":"National Academy of Sciences","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,30]],"date-time":"2024-12-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1735516800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000053","name":"HHS | NIH | National Eye Institute","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["R01EY015545"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["R01EY015545"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000053","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100015299","name":"CIT | Caltech Conte Center for Social Decision Making","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["P50MH094258"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["P50MH094258"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100015299","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.pnas.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A."],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,7]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Cognition relies on transforming sensory inputs into a generalizable understanding of the world. Mirror neurons have been proposed to underlie this process, mapping visual representations of others\u2019 actions and sensations onto neurons that mediate our own, providing a conduit for understanding. However, this theory has limitations. Here, we hypothesize that mirror-like responses represent one facet of a broader framework in which our brains engage internal models for cognition. We recorded populations of single neurons in the human posterior parietal cortex (PPC) of a brain\u2013machine interface clinical trial participant implanted with a microelectrode array while she either experienced actual touch, or observed diverse tactile stimuli applied to other individuals. Two body locations were tested, on each of the participant and other individuals. Some neurons exhibited mirror-like properties, consistent with earlier literature. However, they were fragile, breaking with increased task complexity. Population responses were better characterized by generalizable and compositional basic-level features encoded within neural subspaces. These features enable the population to respond to diverse actual and observed touch stimuli and are recruited similarly for similar forms of touch. Mirror-like neurons belong within these subspaces, contributing more globally to compositionality and generalizability. We speculate that at a population-level, human PPC manifests an internal model for touch, and that cognition unfolds in the high-level human cortex by versatility in its representational building blocks. In a broad sense, we speculate that the population features we demonstrate support a broad mechanism by which the high-level human cortex enables understanding.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.2316012121","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,30]],"date-time":"2024-12-30T15:00:46Z","timestamp":1735570846000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1073\/pnas.cm10313","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Population encoding of observed and actual somatosensations in the human posterior parietal cortex"],"prefix":"10.1073","volume":"122","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3570-162X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Srinivas","family":"Chivukula","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurological Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center","place":["Dallas"]},{"name":"Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology","place":["Pasadena"]},{"name":"Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Brain-Machine Interface Center, Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology","place":["Pasadena"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tyson","family":"Aflalo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology","place":["Pasadena"]},{"name":"Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Brain-Machine Interface Center, Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology","place":["Pasadena"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Carey","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology","place":["Pasadena"]},{"name":"Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Brain-Machine Interface Center, Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology","place":["Pasadena"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Emily R.","family":"Rosario","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare","place":["Pomona"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ausaf","family":"Bari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare","place":["Pomona"]},{"name":"Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California","place":["Los Angeles"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nader","family":"Pouratian","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurological Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center","place":["Dallas"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Richard A.","family":"Andersen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology","place":["Pasadena"]},{"name":"Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Brain-Machine Interface Center, Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology","place":["Pasadena"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"341","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_4_1_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nrn.2016.150"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_2_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.neuro.27.070203.144230"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_3_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0140525X16001837"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_4_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nrn.2016.135"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_5_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.conb.2009.10.006"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_6_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1162\/jocn.2009.21189"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_7_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-neuro-071013-013950"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_8_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cell.2020.02.043"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_9_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/sciadv.abb3984"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_10_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuron.2017.06.040"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_11_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7554\/eLife.46619"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_12_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1207\/s15516709cog1204_2"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_13_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0010-0277(81)90013-5"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_14_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1523\/JNEUROSCI.3276-09.2010"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_15_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuroimage.2011.01.066"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_16_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.brainresrev.2007.08.004"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_17_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cell.2017.05.011"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_18_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.aaa5417"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_19_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7554\/eLife.61646"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_20_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"S. Chivukula Cognition through internal models: Mirror neurons as one manifestation of a broader mechanism. bioRxiv [Preprint] (2022). https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1101\/2022.09.06.506071 (Accessed 21 October 2024).","DOI":"10.1101\/2022.09.06.506071"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_21_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0896-6273(01)00423-8"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_22_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.277.5323.190"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_23_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cub.2012.12.006"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_24_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1523\/JNEUROSCI.3481-17.2018"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_25_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/brain\/119.2.593"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_26_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"T. Aflalo A shared neural substrate for action verbs and observed actions in human posterior parietal cortex. bioRxiv [Preprint] (2020). 10.1101\/2020.04.20.039529 (Accessed 21 October 2024).","DOI":"10.1101\/2020.04.20.039529"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_27_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00230027"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_28_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1460-9568.2009.07067.x"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_29_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.celrep.2020.108006"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_30_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.2007018117"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_31_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/cercor\/bhy304"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_32_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7554\/eLife.71736"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_33_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1523\/JNEUROSCI.1640-08.2008"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_34_2","first-page":"214","volume-title":"The Language of Thought, The Language & Thought Series","author":"Fodor J. A.","year":"1975","unstructured":"J. A. Fodor, The Language of Thought, The Language & Thought Series (Crowell, New York, 1975), pp. 214."},{"key":"e_1_3_4_35_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.290.5497.1782"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_36_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-control-060117-105206"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_37_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cub.2020.01.035"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_38_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuron.2011.03.009"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_39_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3758\/s13423-015-0842-3"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_40_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tins.2009.04.002"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_41_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tics.2013.06.004"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_42_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nature17637"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_43_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tics.2011.10.001"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_44_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nrn.2016.150"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_45_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nature03687"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_46_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nrn3251"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_47_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-psych-030221-030214"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_48_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tics.2021.02.012"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_49_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41467-019-09460-y"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_50_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7554\/eLife.07436"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_51_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fnsys.2016.00081"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_52_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s42003-019-0438-y"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_53_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1163\/156856897X00357"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_54_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/bioinformatics\/btp621"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_55_2","unstructured":"S. Chivukula Population encoding of observed and actual somatosensations in the human posterior parietal cortex. Zenodo. https:\/\/zenodo.org\/me\/requests\/c8326bf7-0fd9-4886-856f-5c076aa9ec23. Accessed 2 December 2024."},{"key":"e_1_3_4_56_2","unstructured":"S. Chivukula Population encoding of observed and actual somatosensations in the human posterior parietal cortex. Github. https:\/\/github.com\/srinivaschivukula\/Cognition\/. Accessed 2 December 2024."}],"container-title":["Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/pnas.org\/doi\/pdf\/10.1073\/pnas.2316012121","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,30]],"date-time":"2024-12-30T15:04:31Z","timestamp":1735571071000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/pnas.org\/doi\/10.1073\/pnas.2316012121"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,30]]},"references-count":56,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,7]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1073\/pnas.2316012121"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1073\/pnas.2316012121","relation":{},"ISSN":["0027-8424","1091-6490"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0027-8424","type":"print"},{"value":"1091-6490","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,30]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2023-09-14","order":0,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2024-10-29","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2024-12-30","order":3,"name":"published","label":"Published","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}],"article-number":"e2316012121"}}