Inhibiting the posterior medial prefrontal cortex by rTMS decreases the discrepancy between self and other in Theory of Mind reasoning

2014 ◽  
Vol 274 ◽  
pp. 312-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Schuwerk ◽  
Martin Schecklmann ◽  
Berthold Langguth ◽  
Katrin Döhnel ◽  
Beate Sodian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Self And Other

The Role of the Medial Prefrontal Cortex in Moderating Neural Representations of Self and Other in Primates

2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Masaki Isoda
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Annual Review ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Self And Other ◽  
Neural Representations ◽  
The Social

As a frontal node in the primate social brain, the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) plays a critical role in coordinating one's own behavior with respect to that of others. Current literature demonstrates that single neurons in the MPFC encode behavior-related variables such as intentions, actions, and rewards, specifically for self and other, and that the MPFC comes into play when reflecting upon oneself and others. The social moderator account of MPFC function can explain maladaptive social cognition in people with autism spectrum disorder, which tips the balance in favor of self-centered perspectives rather than taking into consideration the perspective of others. Several strands of evidence suggest a hypothesis that the MPFC represents different other mental models, depending on the context at hand, to better predict others’ emotions and behaviors. This hypothesis also accounts for aberrant MPFC activity in autistic individuals while they are mentalizing others. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Neuroscience, Volume 44 is July 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

scholarly journals Representation, Control, or Reasoning? Distinct Functions for Theory of Mind within the Medial Prefrontal Cortex

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 683-698 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte E. Hartwright ◽  
Ian A. Apperly ◽  
Peter C. Hansen
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Cortical Region ◽  
Behavioral Task ◽  
Medial Pfc ◽  
Different Parts

The medial pFC (mPFC) is frequently reported to play a central role in Theory of Mind (ToM). However, the contribution of this large cortical region in ToM is not well understood. Combining a novel behavioral task with fMRI, we sought to demonstrate functional divisions between dorsal and rostral mPFC. All conditions of the task required the representation of mental states (beliefs and desires). The level of demands on cognitive control (high vs. low) and the nature of the demands on reasoning (deductive vs. abductive) were varied orthogonally between conditions. Activation in dorsal mPFC was modulated by the need for control, whereas rostral mPFC was modulated by reasoning demands. These findings fit with previously suggested domain-general functions for different parts of mPFC and suggest that these functions are recruited selectively in the service of ToM.

scholarly journals White Matter and Social Cognition

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yin Wang ◽  
Athanasia Metoki ◽  
Kylie H. Alm ◽  
Ingrid R. Olson
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Social Cognition ◽  
White Matter ◽  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Social Neuroscience ◽  
Imaging Data ◽  
Social Brain ◽  
Face Area

AbstractThere is a growing consensus that social cognition and behavior emerge from interactions across distributed regions of the “social brain”. Social neuroscience has traditionally focused its attention on functional response properties of these gray matter networks and neglected the vital role of white matter (WM) connections in establishing such networks and their functions. In this article, we conduct a comprehensive review of prior research on structural connectivity in social neuroscience and highlight the importance of this literature in clarifying brain mechanisms of social cognition. We pay particular attention to the research on three key social processes: face processing, embodied cognition, and theory of mind, and their respective underlying neural networks. To fully identify and characterize the anatomical architecture of these networks, we further implement probabilistic tractography on a large sample of diffusion-weighted imaging data. The combination of an in-depth literature review and the empirical investigation gives us an unprecedented, well-defined landscape of WM pathways underlying major social brain networks. Finally, we discuss current problems in the field, outline suggestions for best practice in diffusion imaging data collection and analysis, and offer new directions for future research.AbbreviationsACCanterior cingulate cortexADaxial diffusivityAFarcuate fasciculusAIanterior insulaALSamyotrophic lateral sclerosisAMGamygdalaASDautism spectrum disordersATLanterior temporal lobeATRanterior thalamic radiationCCcorpus callosumCINGcingulum bundleCSTcortico-spinal tractDESdirect electrical stimulationdMPFCdorsal medial prefrontal cortexdMRIdiffusion-weighted MRIDPdevelopmental prosopagnosiaDTIdiffusion tensor imagingFAfractional anisotropyFFAfusiform face areaIFGinferior frontal gyrusIFOFinferior fronto-occipital fasciculusILFinferior longitudinal fasciculusIPLinferior parietal lobeMCImild cognitive impairmentMDmean diffusivityMPFCmedial prefrontal cortexMSmultiple sclerosisOFAoccipital face areaOFCorbitofrontal cortex face patchPCCposterior cingulate cortexPDParkinson’s diseasePPprogressive prosopagnosiaPreCprecuneusRDradial diffusivityROIregion-of-interestsMRIstructural MRISTSsuperior temporal sulcusTBSStract-based spatial statisticsToMTheory of MindTPJtemporo-parietal junctionUFuncinate fasciculusVBMvoxel based morphometryvMPFCventral medial prefrontal cortexWMwhite matter

scholarly journals Theory of Mind Performance Predicts tDCS-Mediated Effects on the Medial Prefrontal Cortex: A Pilot Study to Investigate the Role of Sex and Age

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 257
Author(s):  
Maria Cotelli ◽  
Rosa Manenti ◽  
Elena Gobbi ◽  
Ivan Enrici ◽  
Danila Rusich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Elderly Male ◽  
Control Functions ◽  
Promising Tool ◽  
Age Related ◽  
The Relationship

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) has become an increasingly promising tool for understanding the relationship between brain and behavior. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the magnitude of sex- and age-related tDCS effects previously found in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) during a Theory of Mind (ToM) task correlates with social cognition performance; in particular, we explored whether different patterns of activity would be detected in high- and low-performing participants. For this, young and elderly, male and female participants were categorized as a low- or high-performer according to their score on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes task. Furthermore, we explored whether sex- and age-related effects associated with active tDCS on the mPFC were related to cognitive functioning. We observed the following results: (i) elderly participants experience a significant decline in ToM performance compared to young participants; (ii) low-performing elderly females report slowing of reaction time when anodal tDCS is applied over the mPFC during a ToM task; and (iii) low-performing elderly females are characterized by lower scores in executive control functions, verbal fluency and verbal short-term memory. The relationship between tDCS results and cognitive functioning is discussed in light of the neuroscientific literature on sex- and age-related differences.

scholarly journals Pupil mimicry promotes trust through the theory-of-mind network

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (31) ◽  
pp. E7265-E7274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eliska Prochazkova ◽  
Luisa Prochazkova ◽  
Michael Rojek Giffin ◽  
H. Steven Scholte ◽  
Carsten K. W. De Dreu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Superior Temporal Sulcus ◽  
Pupil Dilation ◽  
Human Eye ◽  
Trust Formation ◽  
Pupil Constriction ◽  
Fundamental Mechanism

The human eye can provide powerful insights into the emotions and intentions of others; however, how pupillary changes influence observers’ behavior remains largely unknown. The present fMRI–pupillometry study revealed that when the pupils of interacting partners synchronously dilate, trust is promoted, which suggests that pupil mimicry affiliates people. Here we provide evidence that pupil mimicry modulates trust decisions through the activation of the theory-of-mind network (precuneus, temporo-parietal junction, superior temporal sulcus, and medial prefrontal cortex). This network was recruited during pupil-dilation mimicry compared with interactions without mimicry or compared with pupil-constriction mimicry. Furthermore, the level of theory-of-mind engagement was proportional to individual’s susceptibility to pupil-dilation mimicry. These data reveal a fundamental mechanism by which an individual’s pupils trigger neurophysiological responses within an observer: when interacting partners synchronously dilate their pupils, humans come to feel reflections of the inner states of others, which fosters trust formation.

scholarly journals Theory of mind and neurocognitive functioning in schizophrenia

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 77-85
Author(s):  
E.E. Rumyantseva
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Social Perception ◽  
Mental Model ◽  
Neurocognitive Functioning ◽  
Parietal Region ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Schizophrenia Subject ◽  
Number Of Authors

The aim of this work was to study the problem of interrelation between theory of mind and neurocognitive functioning in schizophrenia. Tasks: analysis of the literature on the problem of interrelation of theory of mind and neurocognitive functioning in schizophrenia. Subject of research: interrelation of theory of mind and neurocognitive functioning. Research hypothesis: the state of the mental model correlated with neurocognitive functioning. Registered a decline in the functioning of theory of mind in schizophrenia. It is known that hypofrontality in schizophrenia determines the reduction of social perception. A number of authors allocate structures in the brain, providing mental models: regions of the medial prefrontal cortex and posttemporal areas, including the temporo parietal region. Some studies found relationship between the theory of mind and memory, executive functions. However, there are studies, which has not been found the interrelation between theory of mind and neurocognitive functioning. Nonetheless, some studies concluded that currently there is no consensus about the influence of neurocognitive functioning on the theory of mind in schizophrenia.

scholarly journals Is the Medial Prefrontal Cortex Necessary for Theory of Mind?

PLoS ONE ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. e0135912 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Otti ◽  
Afra M. Wohlschlaeger ◽  
Michael Noll-Hussong
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex
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