scholarly journals The Link between Social Cognition and Self-referential Thought in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex

2005 ◽  
Vol 17 (8) ◽  
pp. 1306-1315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason P. Mitchell ◽  
Mahzarin R. Banaji ◽  
C. Neil Macrae
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Social Cognition ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Neural Activity ◽  
Mental States ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Processing Information ◽  
Parametric Analyses ◽  
Degree Of Similarity

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has been implicated in seemingly disparate cognitive functions, such as understanding the minds of other people and processing information about the self. This functional overlap would be expected if humans use their own experiences to infer the mental states of others, a basic postulate of simulation theory. Neural activity was measured while participants attended to either the mental or physical aspects of a series of other people. To permit a test of simulation theory's prediction that inferences based on self-reflection should only be made for similar others, targets were subsequently rated for their degree of similarity to self. Parametric analyses revealed a region of the ventral mPFC—previously implicated in self-referencing tasks—in which activity correlated with perceived self/other similarity, but only for mentalizing trials. These results suggest that self-reflection may be used to infer the mental states of others when they are sufficiently similar to self.

scholarly journals Oxytocin blurs the self-other distinction during trait judgments and reduces medial prefrontal cortex responses

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (7) ◽  
pp. 2512-2527 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weihua Zhao ◽  
Shuxia Yao ◽  
Qin Li ◽  
Yayuan Geng ◽  
Xiaole Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
The Self

scholarly journals Representation, Control, or Reasoning? Distinct Functions for Theory of Mind within the Medial Prefrontal Cortex

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 683-698 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte E. Hartwright ◽  
Ian A. Apperly ◽  
Peter C. Hansen
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Cortical Region ◽  
Behavioral Task ◽  
Medial Pfc ◽  
Different Parts

The medial pFC (mPFC) is frequently reported to play a central role in Theory of Mind (ToM). However, the contribution of this large cortical region in ToM is not well understood. Combining a novel behavioral task with fMRI, we sought to demonstrate functional divisions between dorsal and rostral mPFC. All conditions of the task required the representation of mental states (beliefs and desires). The level of demands on cognitive control (high vs. low) and the nature of the demands on reasoning (deductive vs. abductive) were varied orthogonally between conditions. Activation in dorsal mPFC was modulated by the need for control, whereas rostral mPFC was modulated by reasoning demands. These findings fit with previously suggested domain-general functions for different parts of mPFC and suggest that these functions are recruited selectively in the service of ToM.

Human Prefrontal Cortex

2021 ◽  
pp. 372-419
Author(s):  
Richard E. Passingham
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Visual Imagery ◽  
Great Apes ◽  
Integrated System ◽  
The Self ◽  
Demand System ◽  
Association Cortex ◽  
Parietal Association Cortex ◽  
Global Workspace

This chapter and the next one consider how to account for the astonishing difference in intelligence between humans and our nearest living ancestors, the great apes. An integrated system that includes the dorsal prefrontal cortex and the parietal association cortex is activated when subjects attempt tests of non-verbal intelligence. It has been suggested that this system might act as a ‘multiple-demand system’ or ‘global workspace’ that can deal with any problem. However, closer examination suggests that the tasks used to support this claim have in common that they involve abstract sequences. These problems can be solved by visual imagery alone. But humans also have the advantage that they also have access to a propositional code. This means that they can solve problems that involve verbal reasoning, as well as being able to form detailed plans for the future. They can also form explicit judgements about themselves, including their perceptions, actions, and memories, and this means that they can represent themselves as individuals. The representation of the self depends in part on tissue in the medial prefrontal cortex (PF).

scholarly journals Medial prefrontal cortex reacts to unfairness if this damages the self: a tDCS study

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1054-1060 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Civai ◽  
Carlo Miniussi ◽  
Raffaella I. Rumiati
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
The Self

scholarly journals White Matter and Social Cognition

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yin Wang ◽  
Athanasia Metoki ◽  
Kylie H. Alm ◽  
Ingrid R. Olson
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Social Cognition ◽  
White Matter ◽  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Social Neuroscience ◽  
Imaging Data ◽  
Social Brain ◽  
Face Area

AbstractThere is a growing consensus that social cognition and behavior emerge from interactions across distributed regions of the “social brain”. Social neuroscience has traditionally focused its attention on functional response properties of these gray matter networks and neglected the vital role of white matter (WM) connections in establishing such networks and their functions. In this article, we conduct a comprehensive review of prior research on structural connectivity in social neuroscience and highlight the importance of this literature in clarifying brain mechanisms of social cognition. We pay particular attention to the research on three key social processes: face processing, embodied cognition, and theory of mind, and their respective underlying neural networks. To fully identify and characterize the anatomical architecture of these networks, we further implement probabilistic tractography on a large sample of diffusion-weighted imaging data. The combination of an in-depth literature review and the empirical investigation gives us an unprecedented, well-defined landscape of WM pathways underlying major social brain networks. Finally, we discuss current problems in the field, outline suggestions for best practice in diffusion imaging data collection and analysis, and offer new directions for future research.AbbreviationsACCanterior cingulate cortexADaxial diffusivityAFarcuate fasciculusAIanterior insulaALSamyotrophic lateral sclerosisAMGamygdalaASDautism spectrum disordersATLanterior temporal lobeATRanterior thalamic radiationCCcorpus callosumCINGcingulum bundleCSTcortico-spinal tractDESdirect electrical stimulationdMPFCdorsal medial prefrontal cortexdMRIdiffusion-weighted MRIDPdevelopmental prosopagnosiaDTIdiffusion tensor imagingFAfractional anisotropyFFAfusiform face areaIFGinferior frontal gyrusIFOFinferior fronto-occipital fasciculusILFinferior longitudinal fasciculusIPLinferior parietal lobeMCImild cognitive impairmentMDmean diffusivityMPFCmedial prefrontal cortexMSmultiple sclerosisOFAoccipital face areaOFCorbitofrontal cortex face patchPCCposterior cingulate cortexPDParkinson’s diseasePPprogressive prosopagnosiaPreCprecuneusRDradial diffusivityROIregion-of-interestsMRIstructural MRISTSsuperior temporal sulcusTBSStract-based spatial statisticsToMTheory of MindTPJtemporo-parietal junctionUFuncinate fasciculusVBMvoxel based morphometryvMPFCventral medial prefrontal cortexWMwhite matter

scholarly journals Chronic stress alters neural activity in medial prefrontal cortex during retrieval of extinction

Neuroscience ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 174 ◽  
pp. 115-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.A. Wilber ◽  
A.G. Walker ◽  
C.J. Southwood ◽  
M.R. Farrell ◽  
G.L. Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Chronic Stress ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Neural Activity

Medial prefrontal cortex subserves diverse forms of self-reflection

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 211-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrianna C. Jenkins ◽  
Jason P. Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Self Reflection

Distinct Regions of the Medial Prefrontal Cortex Are Associated with Self-referential Processing and Perspective Taking

2007 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 935-944 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnaud D'Argembeau ◽  
Perrine Ruby ◽  
Fabienne Collette ◽  
Christian Degueldre ◽  
Evelyne Balteau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Perspective Taking ◽  
Imaging Study ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
The Self ◽  
The Other ◽  
Person Perspective ◽  
Referential Processing ◽  
Third Person Perspective

The medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) appears to play a prominent role in two fundamental aspects of social cognition, that is, self-referential processing and perspective taking. However, it is currently unclear whether the same or different regions of the MPFC mediate these two interdependent processes. This functional magnetic resonance imaging study sought to clarify the issue by manipulating both dimensions in a factorial design. Participants judged the extent to which trait adjectives described their own personality (e.g., “Are you sociable?”) or the personality of a close friend (e.g., “Is Caroline sociable?”) and were also asked to put themselves in the place of their friend (i.e., to take a third-person perspective) and estimate how this person would judge the adjectives, with the target of the judgments again being either the self (e.g., “According to Caroline, are you sociable?”) or the other person (e.g., “According to Caroline, is she sociable?”). We found that self-referential processing (i.e., judgments targeting the self vs. the other person) yielded activation in the ventral and dorsal anterior MPFC, whereas perspective taking (i.e., adopting the other person's perspective, rather than one's own, when making judgments) resulted in activation in the posterior dorsal MPFC; the interaction between the two dimensions yielded activation in the left dorsal MPFC. These findings show that self-referential processing and perspective taking recruit distinct regions of the MPFC and suggest that the left dorsal MPFC may be involved in decoupling one's own from other people's perspectives on the self.

scholarly journals Neural mechanisms tracking popularity in real-world social networks

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (49) ◽  
pp. 15072-15077 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noam Zerubavel ◽  
Peter S. Bearman ◽  
Jochen Weber ◽  
Kevin N. Ochsner
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Social Cognition ◽  
Real World ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Temporoparietal Junction ◽  
Enhanced Sensitivity ◽  
The Face ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Group Member

Differences in popularity are a key aspect of status in virtually all human groups and shape social interactions within them. Little is known, however, about how we track and neurally represent others’ popularity. We addressed this question in two real-world social networks using sociometric methods to quantify popularity. Each group member (perceiver) viewed faces of every other group member (target) while whole-brain functional MRI data were collected. Independent functional localizer tasks were used to identify brain systems supporting affective valuation (ventromedial prefrontal cortex, ventral striatum, amygdala) and social cognition (dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, precuneus, temporoparietal junction), respectively. During the face-viewing task, activity in both types of neural systems tracked targets’ sociometric popularity, even when controlling for potential confounds. The target popularity–social cognition system relationship was mediated by valuation system activity, suggesting that observing popular individuals elicits value signals that facilitate understanding their mental states. The target popularity–valuation system relationship was strongest for popular perceivers, suggesting enhanced sensitivity to differences among other group members’ popularity. Popular group members also demonstrated greater interpersonal sensitivity by more accurately predicting how their own personalities were perceived by other individuals in the social network. These data offer insights into the mechanisms by which status guides social behavior.

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