Mirror Neurons and Pain: A Scoping Review of Experimental, Social, and Clinical Evidence.

ABSTRACT: Background: The mirror neuron system (MNS) has been proposed as a key neural mechanism linking action perception, motor representation, and social cognition. This framework has increasingly been applied to pain research, encompassing pain empathy, observational learning of pain, and rehabilitative interventions such as mirror therapy. However, the literature is conceptually heterogeneous, methodologically diverse, and spans experimental, social, and clinical domains. Objective: This scoping review aims to map the extent, nature, and characteristics of the available evidence on the relationship between the MNS and pain, clarifying how MNS-related mechanisms are defined, investigated, and applied across different contexts. Methods: A scoping review was conducted using th

SUBMITTER: Cascella M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12841073 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature