scholarly journals Interactions within the social brain: Co-activation and connectivity among networks enabling empathy and Theory of Mind

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lara Maliske ◽  
Matthias Schurz ◽  
Philipp Kanske
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Social Functions ◽  
Simultaneous Processing ◽  
Social Settings ◽  
Co Activation ◽  
Social Tasks ◽  
Affect And Cognition ◽  
Cognitive Information ◽  
Context Specific

While empathy and Theory of Mind (ToM) have classically been studied as separate social functions, recent advances demonstrate the need to investigate the two in interaction: Naturalistic settings often blur the distinction of affect and cognition and demand the simultaneous processing of such different stimulus dimensions. Here, we investigate how empathy and ToM related brain networks interact in contexts wherein multiple cognitive and affective demands must be processed simultaneously. Building on the findings of a recent meta-analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis, we perform meta-analytic connectivity modeling to determine patterns of task-context specific network changes. We analyze 140 studies including classical empathy and ToM tasks, as well as complex social tasks. For studies at the intersection of empathy and ToM, neural co-activation patterns included areas typically associated with both empathy and ToM. Network integration is discussed as a means of combining mechanisms across unique behavioral domains. Such integration may enable adaptive behavior in complex, naturalistic social settings that require simultaneous processing of a multitude of different affective and cognitive information.

A meta-analysis of theory of mind and ‘mentalization’ in borderline personality disorder: a true neuro-social-cognitive or meta-social-cognitive impairment?

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Emre Bora
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Borderline Personality Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Cognitive Style ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Meta Analyses

Abstract Background It is widely accepted that borderline personality disorder (BPD) is associated with significant impairments in mentalization and theory of mind (ToM) which are considered as closely related concepts by many authors particularly in psychoanalytical circles. However, for understanding interpersonal difficulties in personality disorders, it is important to distinguish neuro-social cognitive impairment from the abnormal meta-social-cognitive style of patients. Methods The current systematic review aimed to conduct separate meta-analyses of ‘mentalization’ [reflective functioning (RF] and different aspects of ToM in BPD. A literature search was conducted to locate relevant articles published between January 1990 to July 2021. Random-effect meta-analyses were conducted in 34 studies involving 1448 individuals with BPD and 2006 healthy controls. Results A very large impairment in RF was evident in BPD [d = 1.68, confidence interval (CI) = 1.17–2.19]. In contrast, ToM impairment was modest (d = 0.36, CI = 0.24–0.48). BPD patients underperformed healthy controls in ToM-reasoning (d = 0.44, CI = 0.32–0.56) but not ToM-decoding. Increased HyperToM (d = 0.60, CI = 0.41–0.79) and faux pas recognition (d = 0.62, CI = 0.35–0.90) errors in BPD compared to healthy controls were most robust ToM findings in this meta-analysis. Conclusions BPD is characterized by very severe deficits in RF and modest and selective abnormalities in ToM. Interpersonal problems and difficulties in processing social information in BPD can be best explained by patients' maldaptive meta-social cognitive style and top-down effects of these abnormalities rather than having a primary neuro-social cognitive deficit.

scholarly journals Theory of Mind network activity is associated with metaethical judgment: An item analysis

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan E. Theriault ◽  
Adam Waytz ◽  
Larisa Heiphetz ◽  
Liane Young
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Item Analysis ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Network Activity ◽  
Predictive Processing ◽  
Temporoparietal Junction ◽  
Social Tasks ◽  
Stimulus Features

The theory of mind network (ToMN) is a set of brain regions activated by a variety of social tasks. Recent work has proposed that these associations with ToMN activity may relate to a common underlying computation: processing prediction error in social contexts. The present work presents evidence consistent with this hypothesis, using a fine-grained item analysis to examine the relationship between ToMN activity and variance in stimulus features. We used an existing dataset (consisting of statements about morals, facts, and preferences) to explore variability in ToMN activity elicited by moral statements, using metaethical judgments (i.e. judgments of how fact-like/preference-like morals are) as a proxy for their predictability/support by social consensus. Study 1 validated expected patterns of behavioral judgments in our stimuli set, and Study 2 associated by-stimulus estimates of metaethical judgment with ToMN activity, showing that ToMN activity was negatively associated with objective morals and positively associated with subjective morals. Whole brain analyses indicated that these associations were strongest in bilateral temporoparietal junction (TPJ). We also observed additional by-stimulus associations with ToMN, including positive associations with the presence of a person (across morals, facts, and preferences), a negative association with agreement (among morals only), and a positive association with mental inference (in preferences only, across 3 independent measures and behavioral samples). We discuss these findings in the context of recent predictive processing models, and highlight how predictive models may facilitate new perspectives on metaethics, the centrality of morality to personal identity, and distinctions between social domains (e.g. morals vs. preferences).

scholarly journals Empathy and theory of mind in multiple sclerosis: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
XiaoGuang Lin ◽  
XueLing Zhang ◽  
QinQin Liu ◽  
PanWen Zhao ◽  
JianGuo Zhong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Meta Analysis

A meta-analysis of the associations between theory of mind and neurocognition in schizophrenia

2020 ◽  
Vol 216 ◽  
pp. 118-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Élisabeth Thibaudeau ◽  
Amélie M. Achim ◽  
Carolane Parent ◽  
Mélissa Turcotte ◽  
Caroline Cellard
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Meta Analysis

scholarly journals Meta-analysis of Theory of Mind (ToM) impairment in bipolar disorder

2015 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 253-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Bora ◽  
C. Bartholomeusz ◽  
C. Pantelis
Keyword(s):  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Mood State ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Interpersonal Problems ◽  
Developmental Trajectory ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Manic Symptoms ◽  
Different Types ◽  
The Relationship

BackgroundTheory of mind (ToM) dysfunction is prominent in a number of psychiatric disorders, in particular, autism and schizophrenia, and can play a significant role in poor functioning. There is now emerging evidence suggesting that ToM abilities are also impaired in bipolar disorder (BP); however, the relationship between ToM deficits and mood state is not clear.MethodWe conducted a meta-analysis of ToM studies in BP. Thirty-four studies comparing 1214 patients with BP and 1097 healthy controls were included. BP groups included remitted (18 samples, 545 BP patients), subsyndromal (12 samples, 510 BP patients), and acute (manic and/or depressed) (10 samples, 159 BP patients) patients.ResultsToM performance was significantly impaired in BP compared to controls. This impairment was evident across different types of ToM tasks (including affective/cognitive and verbal/visual) and was also evident in strictly euthymic patients with BP (d = 0.50). There were no significant differences between remitted and subsyndromal samples. However, ToM deficit was significantly more severe during acute episodes (d = 1.23). ToM impairment was significantly associated with neurocognitive and particularly with manic symptoms.ConclusionSignificant but modest sized ToM dysfunction is evident in remitted and subsyndromal BP. Acute episodes are associated with more robust ToM deficits. Exacerbation of ToM deficits may contribute to the more significant interpersonal problems observed in patients with acute or subsyndromal manic symptoms. There is a need for longitudinal studies comparing the developmental trajectory of ToM deficits across the course of the illness.

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

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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