Long-range connections mirror and link microarchitectural and cognitive hierarchies in the human brain

Core features of higher-order cognition are hypothesized to be implemented via distributed cortical networks that are linked via long-range connections. However, these connections are biologically expensive, and it is unknown how the computational advantages long-range connections provide overcome the associated wiring costs. Our study investigated this question by exploring the relationship between long-range functional connections and local cortical microarchitecture. Specifically, our work (i) profiled distant cortical connectivity using resting-state fMRI and cortico-cortical geodesic distance mapping, (ii) assessed how long-range connections reflect local brain microarchitecture, and (iii) studied the microarchitectural similarity of regions connected through long-range connections. Analysis of two independent datasets indicated that sensory and motor areas had more clustered short-range connectivity patterns, while transmodal association cortices, including regions of the default mode network, were characterized by distributed, long-range connections. Confirmatory meta-analysis suggested that this topographical difference mirrored a shift in cognitive function, from perception/action towards emotional and social cognitive processing. Analysis of myelin-sensitive in vivo MRI in the same participants as well as post mortem histology and gene expression established that gradients in functional connectivity distance are paralleled by those present in cortical microarchitecture. Moreover, long-range connections were found to link together spatially remote regions of association cortex with an unexpectedly similar microarchitecture. These findings provide novel insights into how the organization of distributed functional networks in transmodal association cortex contribute to cognition, because they suggest that long-range connections link together distant islands of association cortex with similar microstructural features.

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Empathy and Theory of Mind in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Meta-analysis

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s1355617720000478 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 26 (10) ◽

pp. 963-977

Author(s):

Olivia P. Demichelis ◽

Sarah P. Coundouris ◽

Sarah A. Grainger ◽

Julie D. Henry

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Theory Of Mind ◽

Cognitive Processing ◽

Cognitive Abilities ◽

Social Cognitive ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Cognitive Empathy ◽

Analytic Review ◽

Social Cognitive Processing

AbstractObjective:A large literature now shows that Alzheimer’s disease (AD) disrupts a number of social cognitive abilities, including social perceptual function and theory of mind (ToM). However, less well understood is how the specific subcomponents of ToM as well as both the broader and specific subcomponents of empathic processing are affected.Method:The current study provides the first meta-analytic review of AD that focuses on both empathy and ToM as broad constructs, as well as their overlapping (cognitive empathy and affective ToM) and distinct (affective empathy and cognitive ToM) subcomponents.Results:Aggregated across 31 studies, the results revealed that, relative to controls, AD is associated with large-sized deficits in both cognitive ToM (g = 1.09) and affective ToM/cognitive empathy (g = 0.76). However, no statistical differences were found between the AD participants and controls on affective empathic abilities (g = 0.36).Conclusions:These data point to a potentially important disconnect between core aspects of social cognitive processing in people with AD. The practical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.

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Empathy and Theory of Mind in Multiple Sclerosis: A Meta-Analysis

Frontiers in Psychiatry ◽

10.3389/fpsyt.2021.628110 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

XiaoGuang Lin ◽

XueLing Zhang ◽

QinQin Liu ◽

PanWen Zhao ◽

JianGuo Zhong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Theory Of Mind ◽

Cognitive Processing ◽

Cognitive Abilities ◽

Social Cognitive ◽

Demyelinating Disease ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Cognitive Empathy ◽

Analytic Review ◽

The Central Nervous System

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Studies have shown that MS disrupts several social cognitive abilities [including empathy and theory of mind (ToM)]. Overall ToM deficits in MS are well documented, but how the specific ToM subcomponents and empathic capacity are affected remains unclear. For this meta-analysis, we searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase from inception to July 2020. Effect sizes were calculated using Hedges g with a random-effects model. Thirty-three studies were included. Relative to healthy controls (HCs), patients with MS were moderately impaired in overall empathy (g = −0.67), overall ToM (g = −74), cognitive ToM (g = −0.72), and the overlapping domains of cognitive empathy/affective ToM (g = −0.79); no group differences were identified for affective empathy (g = −0.19). Compared with HCs, patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and progressive MS were impaired in overall empathy, overall ToM, cognitive ToM, and cognitive empathy/affective ToM, without significant RRMS–progressive MS differences in impairment degree. We conducted the first meta-analytic review investigating the empathy and ToM functioning patterns in patients with MS and examined the overlapping and distinct subcomponents of these constructs. The findings suggest differential impairment of the core aspects of social cognitive processing in patients with MS, which may importantly inform the development of structured social cognitive MS interventions.

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Establishing a Role of the Semantic Control Network in Social Cognitive Processing: A Meta-analysis of Functional Neuroimaging Studies

10.1101/2021.04.01.437961 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Richard J Binney ◽

Veronica Diveica ◽

Kami Koldewyn

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Processing ◽

Social Cognitive ◽

Functional Neuroimaging ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽

Neural Activation ◽

Control Mechanisms ◽

Meta Analyses

Most leading models of socio-cognitive processing devote little discussion to the nature and neuroanatomical correlates of cognitive control mechanisms. Recently, it has been proposed that the regulation of social behaviours could rely on brain regions specialised in the controlled retrieval of semantic information, namely the anterior inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and posterior middle temporal gyrus. Accordingly, we set out to investigate whether the neural activation commonly found in social functional neuroimaging studies extends to these semantic control regions. We conducted five coordinate-based meta-analyses to combine results of over 500 fMRI/PET experiments and identified the brain regions consistently involved in semantic control, as well as four social abilities: theory of mind, trait inference, empathy and moral reasoning. This allowed an unprecedented parallel review of the neural networks associated with each of these cognitive domains. The results confirmed that the anterior left IFG region involved in semantic control is reliably engaged in all four social domains. This suggests that social cognition could be partly regulated by the neurocognitive system underpinning semantic control.

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Establishing a Role of the Semantic Control Network in Social Cognitive Processing: A Meta-analysis of Functional Neuroimaging Studies

NeuroImage ◽

10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118702 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 118702

Author(s):

Veronica Diveica ◽

Kami Koldewyn ◽

Richard J. Binney

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Processing ◽

Social Cognitive ◽

Functional Neuroimaging ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Control Network ◽

Social Cognitive Processing

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Effect of Synaptic Connectivity on Long-Range Synchronization of Fast Cortical Oscillations

Journal of Neurophysiology ◽

10.1152/jn.90613.2008 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 100 (3) ◽

pp. 1562-1575 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

M. Bazhenov ◽

N. F. Rulkov ◽

I. Timofeev

Keyword(s):

Long Range ◽

Cognitive Processing ◽

Large Scale ◽

Phase Synchronization ◽

Critical Role ◽

Network Models ◽

Gamma Oscillations ◽

Common Mechanism ◽

Sensory Stimuli

Cortical gamma oscillations in the 20- to 80-Hz range are associated with attentiveness and sensory perception and have strong connections to both cognitive processing and temporal binding of sensory stimuli. These gamma oscillations become synchronized within a few milliseconds over distances spanning a few millimeters in spite of synaptic delays. In this study using in vivo recordings and large-scale cortical network models, we reveal a critical role played by the network geometry in achieving precise long-range synchronization in the gamma frequency band. Our results indicate that the presence of many independent synaptic pathways in a two-dimensional network facilitate precise phase synchronization of fast gamma band oscillations with nearly zero phase delays between remote network sites. These findings predict a common mechanism of precise oscillatory synchronization in neuronal networks.

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Does context matter? Effects of robot appearance and reliability on social attention differs based on lifelikeness of gaze task

10.31234/osf.io/aqk5s ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Abdulaziz Abubshait ◽

Patrick P. Weis ◽

Eva Wiese

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Processing ◽

Social Cognitive ◽

Physical Appearance ◽

Mental States ◽

Social Attention ◽

Social Cues ◽

Social Signals ◽

Mind Perception ◽

The Social ◽

Behavioral Features

Social signals, such as changes in gaze direction, are essential cues to predict others’ mental states and behaviors (i.e., mentalizing). Studies show that humans can mentalize with non-human agents when they perceive a mind in them (i.e., mind perception). Robots that physically and/or behaviorally resemble humans likely trigger mind perception, which enhances the relevance of social cues and improves social-cognitive performance. The current ex-periments examine whether the effect of physical and behavioral influencers of mind perception on social-cognitive processing is modulated by the lifelikeness of a social interaction. Participants interacted with robots of varying degrees of physical (humanlike vs. robot-like) and behavioral (reliable vs. random) human-likeness while the lifelikeness of a social attention task was manipulated across five experiments. The first four experiments manipulated lifelikeness via the physical realism of the robot images (Study 1 and 2), the biological plausibility of the social signals (Study 3), and the plausibility of the social con-text (Study 4). They showed that humanlike behavior affected social attention whereas appearance affected mind perception ratings. However, when the lifelikeness of the interaction was increased by using videos of a human and a robot sending the social cues in a realistic environment (Study 5), social attention mechanisms were affected both by physical appearance and behavioral features, while mind perception ratings were mainly affected by physical appearance. This indicates that in order to understand the effect of physical and behavioral features on social cognition, paradigms should be used that adequately simulate the lifelikeness of social interactions.

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