Three Ways in Which Midline Regions Contribute to Self-Evaluation

Abstract

An integration of existing research and newly conducted psychophysiological interaction (PPI) connectivity analyses suggest a new framework for understanding the contribution of midline regions to social cognition. Recent meta-analyses suggest that there are no midline regions that are exclusively associated with self-processing. Whereas medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) is broadly modulated by self-processing, subdivisions within MPFC are differentially modulated by the evaluation of close others (ventral MPFC: BA 10/32) and the evaluation of other social targets (dorsal MPFC: BA 9/32). The role of DMPFC in social cognition may also be less uniquely social than previously thought; it may be better characterized as a region that indexes certainty about evaluation rather than previously considered social mechanisms (i.e., correction of self-projection). VMPFC, a region often described as an important mediator of socioemotional significance, may instead perform a more cognitive role by reflecting the type of information brought to bear on evaluations of people we know well. Furthermore, the new framework moves beyond MPFC and hypothesizes that two other midline regions, ventral anterior cingulate cortex (VACC: BA 25) and medial orbitofrontal cortex (MOFC: BA 11), aid motivational influences on social cognition. Despite the central role of motivation in psychological models of self-perception, neural models have largely ignored the topic. Positive connectivity between VACC and MOFC may mediate bottom-up sensitivity to information based on its potential for helping us evaluate ourselves or others the way we want. As connectivity becomes more positive with striatum and less positive with middle frontal gyrus (BA 9/44), MOFC mediates top-down motivational influences by adjusting the standards we bring to bear on evaluations of ourselves and other people.

Influence of the cortical midline structures on moral emotion and motivation in moral decision-making

“…The present study particularly focused on these two seed regions among various CMS regions, because of following regions: first, these regions showed significant activity under moral task conditions in the previous neuroimaging studies [39,40] as well as the present study; second, these regions are associated with self-evaluation [62,93] and particularly autobiographical memory processing [36,37] that constitute the basis of the moral belief system, moral identity, and finally moral self [33]. These seed regions were selected based on the peak voxel coordinate information as the result of the whole-brain voxelwise t-tests (described above) and the brain atlas obtained by previous functional connectivity studies [94,95].…”

“…The CMS regions particularly the MPFC and PCC selected in the present study and constitute the cortical midline structures, which significantly influenced insula regions, are regarded to be the loci of selfhood, or at least the autobiographical processing that is deemed to be the core selfhood-related process associated with moral functioning in case of the PCC [36,37], at the neural level (Damasio, 2010;Northoff and Bermpohl, 2004). Previous neuropsychological studies have demonstrated that the activity in the MPFC region as a part of the CMS are closely associated with self-evaluation of a belief system and morality [29,42,62,93,135,136]; even socio-moral emotions are also modulated by this self-evaluative mechanism [137]. Furthermore, the PCC region is associated with other important self-related processes, particularly self-referencing and autobiographical memory processing [33,[66][67][68][69]; although some recent studies have shown that this region might not be associated with selfhood-related processes in general, it is closely associated with the autobiographical memory processing [36,37].…”

“…We interpret the interaction of MPFC on PI to represent the influence of self-evaluative processes [62,63] on intuitive and emotional responses [73,74,77] to moral dilemmas. Moreover, this causal direction suggests deliberative processes based on the autobiographic self and moral belief system exert control over affective processes while solving moral dilemmas.…”

“…Particularly, the present study focuses on the MPFC and posterior cingulate cortex (PPC) in the CMS. First, the MPFC is associated with self-referencing and selfevaluation [62][63][64], which are fundamental to moral decision making processes. These selfhoodrelated psychological processes enable people to consider and reflect upon their moral belief and value and to make a decision based on them [14,20,65]; moral decision making also would be moderated by these processes.…”

Why and How is the self related to the brain midline regions?

“…The PCC, as part of the DMN, is also discussed, along with mirror neurons, by Molnar-Szakacs and Uddin (2013) in their discussion of the role of CMS in self-relevant and social processing, suggesting a key role for them in embodiment and simulation. Also considering the role of midline regions in social cognition, Flagan and Beer (2013) discuss the mPFC and the social self, describing how different sub-regions may be involved in different aspects of self-evaluation.Alterations of self are seen in many mental disorders, as well as in disorders of consciousness (DOC) -the focus of the third group. Crone et al (2013) present an fMRI study of the response to self/other names in CMS of patients with DOC, adding to the literature on self in such conditions, as reviewed here by Demertzi et al (2013).…”