The Interaction Between Caudate Nucleus and Regions Within the Theory of Mind Network as a Neural Basis for Social Intelligence

Abstract

The organization of socio-cognitive processes is a multifaceted problem for which many sophisticated concepts have been proposed. One of these concepts is social intelligence (SI), i.e., the set of abilities that allow successful interaction with other people. The theory of mind (ToM) human brain network is a good candidate for the neural substrate underlying SI since it is involved in inferring the mental states of others and ourselves and predicting or explaining others’ actions. However, the relationship of ToM to SI remains poorly explored. Our recent research revealed an association between the gray matter volume of the caudate nucleus and the degree of SI as measured by the Guilford-Sullivan test. It led us to question whether this structural peculiarity is reflected in changes to the integration of the caudate with other areas of the brain associated with socio-cognitive processes, including the ToM system. We conducted seed-based functional connectivity (FC) analysis of resting-state fMRI data for 42 subjects with the caudate as a region of interest. We found that the scores of the Guilford-Sullivan test were positively correlated with the FC between seeds in the right caudate head and two clusters located within the right superior temporal gyrus and bilateral precuneus. Both regions are known to be nodes of the ToM network. Thus, the current study demonstrates that the SI level is associated with the degree of functional integration between the ToM network and the caudate nuclei.

Dark triad personality traits are associated with decreased grey matter volumes in ‘social brain’ structures

“…We assume that such framework has already proved to be fruitful in studies that address the brain foundations of social behavior. For example, in recent morphometric and fMRI studies, we have found a link between gray matter morphometric characteristics of the basal ganglia (caudate nuclei) and its functional connectivity with the ToM neuronal system components, and social intelligence characteristics (Myznikov et al, 2021;Votinov et al, 2021). Using the Guilford-Sullivan test (O'Sullivan and Guilford, 1976), we reported higher gray matter volumes in the caudate nuclei of subjects with high social intelligence scores.…”

Uncovering Neural Pathways Underlying Bulimia Nervosa: Resting-State Neural Connectivity Disruptions Correlate with Maladaptive Eating Behaviors

“…The caudate nucleus and putamen, which constitute the dorsal striatum, are not only the largest component of the basal ganglia but also the key brain regions in the mesocorticolimbic reward pathways [48]. In addition to being involved in reward-related processes, the caudate nucleus and putamen support cognitive functions [49,50]. Wang et al [9] have shown altered whole-brain FC of striatal subregions, including the caudate nucleus and putamen in BN.…”

Uncovering neural pathways underlying bulimia nervosa: resting-state neural connectivity disruptions correlate with maladaptive eating behaviors

“…The caudate nucleus and putamen, which constitute the dorsal striatum, not only represent the largest component of the basal ganglia but also play a crucial role in the mesocorticolimbic reward pathways [ 46 ]. Apart from their involvement in reward-related processes, these regions also support cognitive functions [ 47 , 48 ]. In a study by Wang et al [ 9 ], altered whole-brain FC of striatal subregions, including the caudate nucleus and putamen, was observed in BN.…”