Are Mirror Neurons the Answer?
Recently, Lee and Tsai suggested that mirror neurons may play a role in the pathogenesis of mass hysteria. The mirror neuron circuit refers to "neurons in the frontal, parietal and temporal cortex of the monkey, that discharge both when a movement is executed and when the same movement is observed." Although less well characterized, it is believed the mirror neuron system exists in humans as well. This mirror neuron system may help us understand the actions of others. An inhibitive feature of the mirror neuron system keeps us from imitating everything we see. The existence of mirror neurons has been used to design more effective rehabilitation for stroke and may explain some of the cognitive deficits of Parkinson disease.
According to Lee and Tsai, 4 characteristics of the mirror neuron system could contribute to their role in the pathogenesis of mass hysteria. First, failure of the inhibitory component in certain individuals might predispose them to imitate others. Second, transmission of mass hysteria symptoms typically occur by visual and auditory means, both of which are processed by mirror neurons. Third, mirror neurons may play a role in emotional contagion, which allows us to "catch" and feel the emotions of others. Finally, mirror neuron activity is more active in females, a group consistently overrepresented in episodes of mass hysteria.
Conclusions
Incidents of mass hysteria have been a feature of human society for thousands of years, and its cause remains unexplained. Continued research with improved neuroimaging (fMRI, MEG, SPECT) and neurostimulation (TMS) may soon bridge the ever-narrowing chasm between the mind and the brain and provide a neurobiological explanation for mass hysteria. In the meantime, we are left to struggle with unproven hypotheses and propose empiric treatment for patients with symptoms that place them in the uncomfortable borderland between neurology and psychiatry.