A common neural system mediating two different forms of social judgement

Abstract

Background. A wide range of neuropsychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia and autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), are associated with impairments in social function. Previous studies have shown that individuals with schizophrenia and ASD have deficits in making a wide range of social judgements from faces, including decisions related to threat (such as judgements of approachability) and decisions not related to physical threat (such as judgements of intelligence). We have investigated healthy control participants to see whether there is a common neural system activated during such social decisions, on the basis that deficits in this system may contribute to the impairments seen in these disorders.Method. We investigated the neural basis of social decision making during judgements of approachability and intelligence from faces in 24 healthy participants using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We used conjunction analysis to identify common brain regions activated during both tasks.Results. Activation of the amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex, inferior prefrontal cortex and cerebellum was seen during performance of both social tasks, compared to simple gender judgements from the same stimuli. Task-specific activations were present in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in the intelligence task and in the inferior and middle temporal cortex in the approachability task.Conclusions. The present study identified a common network of brain regions activated during the performance of two different forms of social judgement from faces. Dysfunction of this network is likely to contribute to the broad-ranging deficits in social function seen in psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and ASD.

Automatic and Intentional Brain Responses during Evaluation of Face Approachability: Correlations with Trait Anxiety

“…We also found an increased activation of the left precentral and inferior frontal gyri during approachability judgment compared with that during sex discrimination. Consistent with the previous study [58], this finding suggests a critical role for these structures in approachability rating that is independent of face type. These neural areas are associated with sensation integration and behavior planning [59,60], and may play an important role in precipitating approachability decisions.…”

Autism Spectrum Disorder: Does Neuroimaging Support the DSM-5 Proposal for a Symptom Dyad? A Systematic Review of Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Diffusion Tensor Imaging Studies

“…Some authors term all these regions the 'social areas of the brain' (Ashwin et al 2007). These regions typically activate in healthy subjects when performing a social-related task (Gamer and Buchel 2009;Greimel et al 2010a;Hall et al 2010b), whereas they show abnormal patterns of activation or connectivity in patients with ASD, this being consistently related to ASD social deficits. On the other hand, functional MRI-resting state studies in patients with ASD show impaired activity and intrinsic connectivity in the 'default mode network' (DMN) during a passive resting state.…”

Atypical Social Judgment and Sensitivity to Perceptual Cues in Autism Spectrum Disorders

“…Nevertheless judgments associated with faces are consistent between raters (Chen et al 1997;Perrett et al 1994) and robustly associated with many social outcomes, like career achievements or trial sentences (Blair et al 2004;Mazur et al 1984;Todorov et al 2005). In functional MRI, evaluation of physiognomy is associated with activations in the face processing network (fusiform gyrus), the facial expression assessment network (amygdala, temporal cortex, inferior prefrontal cortex) and the psychological traits attribution network (medial prefrontal cortex) (Hall et al 2010).…”