Is the Medial Prefrontal Cortex Necessary for Theory of Mind?

Otti, Alexander; Wohlschläeger, Afra; Noll‐Hussong, Michael

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0135912

Cited by 11 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…Because we used a task-based measure of theory of mind performance (i.e., deliberate engagement) to relate to intrinsic connectivity, a more specific interpretation of our findings may thus be that age differences in the intrinsic connectivity between mPFC-rSFG are unrelated to deliberate theory of mind, but that mPFC-rSFG connectivity may have a relationship with spontaneous theory of mind -consistent with the subsystems interpretation above (Andrews-Hanna et al, 2014). Because mPFC supports, but is not be essential to, theory of mind (Otti et al, 2015), these possibilities may provide important nuances for understanding age differences in theory of mind and related social cognitive behaviors.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

Age differences in specific neural connections within the Default Mode Network underlie theory of mind

et al. 2019

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Theory of mind (i.e., the ability to infer others' mental states)-a fundamental social cognitive ability-declines with increasing age. Prior investigations have focused on identifying task-evoked differences in neural activation that underlie these performance declines. However, these declines could also be related to dysregulation of the baseline, or 'intrinsic', functional connectivity of the brain. If so, age differences in intrinsic connectivity may provide novel insight into the mechanisms that contribute to poorer theory of mind in older adults. To examine this possibility, we assessed younger and older adults' theory of mind while they underwent task-based fMRI, as well as the intrinsic functional connectivity measured during resting-state within the (task-defined) theory of mind network. Older adults exhibited poorer theory of mind behavioral performance and weaker intrinsic connectivity within this network compared to younger adults. Intrinsic connectivity between the right temporoparietal junction and the right temporal pole mediated age differences in theory of mind. Specifically, older adults had weaker intrinsic connectivity between right temporoparietal junction and right temporal pole that explained their poorer theory of mind behavioral performance. These findings broaden our understanding of aging and social cognition and reveal more specific mechanisms of how aging impacts theory of mind.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

Age differences in specific neural connections within the Default Mode Network underlie theory of mind

et al. 2019

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“…Diametrically different changes in subjects with schizophrenia and ASD were found in the pericentral somatosensory and motor cortex (areas 2, 3, 4, 5), anterior cingulate (areas 32, 33), frontal area 9, and hypothalamus. Although still debated (Otti, Wohlschlaeger and Noll-Hussong 2015), motivational mechanisms and reward anticipation in the anterior cingulate and mirroring functions (empathy) of the motor and somatosensory cortices are often deemed relevant to social cognition and thus considered a part of the social brain (Frith 2007; Apps, Rushworth and Chang 2016). Medial portion of Brodmann area 9 may be relevant to reasoning, including social reasoning and mentalizing (Overwalle 2011; Hartwright, Apperly and Hansen 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Positron emission tomography assessment of cerebral glucose metabolic rates in autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia

Mitelman

Bralet

Haznedar

et al. 2017

Brain Imaging and Behavior

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Several models have been proposed to account for observed overlaps in clinical features and genetic predisposition between schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. This study assessed similarities and differences in topological patterns and vectors of glucose metabolism in both disorders in reference to these models. Co-registered fluorodeoxyglucose PET and MRI scans were obtained in 41 schizophrenia, 25 ASD, and 55 healthy control subjects. AFNI was used to map cortical and subcortical regions of interest. Metabolic rates were compared between three diagnostic groups using univariate and multivariate repeated-measures ANOVA. Compared to controls, metabolic rates in schizophrenia subjects were decreased in the frontal lobe, anterior cingulate, superior temporal gyrus, amygdala and medial thalamic nuclei; rates were increased in the occipital cortex, hippocampus, basal ganglia and lateral thalamic nuclei. In ASD subjects metabolic rates were decreased in the parietal lobe, frontal premotor and eye-fields areas, and amygdala; rates were increased in the posterior cingulate, occipital cortex, hippocampus and basal ganglia. In relation to controls, subjects with ASD and schizophrenia showed opposite changes in metabolic rates in the primary motor and somatosensory cortex, anterior cingulate and hypothalamus; similar changes were found in prefrontal and occipital cortices, inferior parietal lobule, amygdala, hippocampus, and basal ganglia. Schizophrenia and ASD appear to be associated with a similar pattern of metabolic abnormalities in the social brain. Divergent maladaptive trade-offs, as postulated by the diametrical hypothesis of their evolutionary relationship, may involve a more circumscribed set of anterior cingulate, motor and somatosensory regions and the specific cognitive functions they subserve.

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“…This region is frequently reported to be selectively activated in imaging studies during tasks that require attribution of mental states, beliefs and intentions to others. The activation is often reported to be predominantly in the right hemisphere (rTPJ) (Kubit & Jack, 2013; Otti, Wohlschlaeger, & Noll‐Hussong, 2015; Perner, Aichhorn, Kronbichler, Staffen, & Ladurner, 2006; Saxe, 2010; Saxe & Kanwisher, 2003; Scholz, Triantafyllou, Whitfield‐Gabrieli, Brown, & Saxe, 2009), although some studies report activation in the left TPJ (lTPJ) as well (Perner et al, 2006; Young, Dodell‐Feder, & Saxe, 2010). Moreover, one study used transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to show that ToM performance decreased after inhibitory cathodal stimulation to the rTPJ (Mai et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The neural basis for mental state attribution: A voxel‐based lesion mapping study

Cohen-Zimerman

Khilwani

Smith

et al. 2020

Human Brain Mapping

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The ability to infer other persons' mental states, "Theory of Mind" (ToM), is a key function of social cognition and is needed when interpreting the intention of others. ToM is associated with a network of functionally related regions, with reportedly key prominent hubs located in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and the temporoparietal junction (TPJ). The involvement of (mainly the right) TPJ in ToM is based primarily on functional imaging studies that provide correlational evidence for brain-behavior associations. In this lesion study, we test whether certain brain areas are necessary for intact ToM performance. We investigated individuals with penetrating traumatic brain injury (n = 170) and healthy matched controls (n = 30) using voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping (VLSM) and by measuring the impact of a given lesion on white matter disconnections. ToM performance was compared between five patient groups based on lesion location: right TPJ, left TPJ, right dlPFC, left dlPFC, and other lesion, as well as healthy controls. The only group to present with lower ToM abilities was the one with lesions in the right dlPFC. Similarly, VLSM analysis revealed a main cluster in the right frontal middle gyrus and a secondary cluster in the left inferior parietal gyrus. Last, we found that disconnection of the left inferior longitudinal fasciculus and right superior longitudinal fasciculus were associated with poor ToM performance. This study highlights the importance of lesion studies in complementing functional neuroimaging findings and supports the assertion that the right dlPFC is a key region mediating mental state attribution.

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Is the Medial Prefrontal Cortex Necessary for Theory of Mind?

Cited by 11 publications

References 62 publications

Age differences in specific neural connections within the Default Mode Network underlie theory of mind

Age differences in specific neural connections within the Default Mode Network underlie theory of mind

Positron emission tomography assessment of cerebral glucose metabolic rates in autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia

The neural basis for mental state attribution: A voxel‐based lesion mapping study

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