Continuing to look in the mirror: A review of neuroscientific evidence for the broken mirror hypothesis, EP-M model and STORM model of autism spectrum conditions.
A neuroscientific review concludes the classic broken mirror hypothesis lacks support, and converging evidence instead favors an integrated EP-M and STORM model.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Luke and his team read every brain-imaging paper on the broken mirror idea. The idea says autistic kids lack mirror neurons, so they copy others poorly.
They also checked two newer models: EP-M and STORM. These say social trouble comes from many brain loops, not just one missing piece.
What they found
The mirror idea did not hold up. Only half the studies found weak mirror activity, and the other half found normal or even strong activity.
The EP-M/STORM mix fit the data better. It says social skills need many brain areas talking in time, not a single mirror spot.
How this fits with other research
Glenn (1988) already argued that social gaps in autism are patchy, not total. The new review keeps that view but swaps the old cognitive label for brain networks.
Nuebling et al. (2024) show emotion outbursts are common in autism. EP-M/STORM adds a reason: the same wide networks that guide faces also guide feelings.
Kovačič et al. (2020) found weak signals from temporal to precuneus in fMRI. Luke’s team says these weak paths are part of the broader EP-M/STORM picture, not a broken mirror.
Why it matters
Stop saying ‘mirror neurons are broken’ to parents. It is outdated and does not match the data. Use the EP-M/STORM view instead: teach social skills by linking many cues—voice, face, body, emotion—at once. Write goals that train networks, not single skills.
What the broken mirror hypothesis claims
The mirror neuron system is thought to help people understand and imitate others actions. The broken mirror hypothesis proposed that a dysfunctional mirror neuron system causes the social difficulties seen in autism.
This review concludes the evidence is insufficient to support that idea in its original form. Studies of brain activity and structure have not reliably shown a globally broken mirror system in autistic people.
EP-M and STORM: the models that replaced it
Two alternatives now fit the data better. The EP-M model separates emulation of goals from mimicry of movements. The social top-down response modulation (STORM) model argues the mirror system works, but the networks that control when it activates operate differently in autism.
The review favors an integrated EP-M plus STORM account. For clinicians, the practical takeaway is that imitation and social differences in autism reflect how mirror activity is regulated in context, not a simple broken circuit.
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Add a goal that pairs eye contact with emotion naming in the same trial.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
The mirror neuron system has been argued to be a key brain system responsible for understanding the actions of others and for imitation. It has therefore been proposed that problems within this system could explain the social difficulties experienced by people with autism spectrum condition. This idea is referred to as the broken mirror hypothesis. However, research has produced insufficient evidence to support the broken mirror hypothesis in its original form. Therefore, two other models have been suggested: EP-M model and the social top-down response modulation (STORM) model. All models suggest something is different regarding the mirror neuron system in autism spectrum condition: either within the mirror neuron system itself or within the systems that control the activity of the mirror neuron system. This literature review compares these three models in regard to recent neuroscientific investigations. This review concludes that there is insufficient support for both the broken mirror hypothesis, but converging evidence supports an integrated EP-M and STORM model.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2020 · doi:10.1038/ncpneuro