Shared Neural Circuits for Mentalizing about the Self and Others

Lombardo, Michael V., Chakrabarti, Bhismadev, Bullmore, Edward T., Wheelwright, Sally J., Sadek, Susan A., Suckling, John, Bailey, A. J., Bolton, P. F., Carrington, Sarah J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5548-8793, Daly, E. M., Deoni, S. C., Ecker, C., Happé, F., Henty, J., Jezzard, P., Johnston, P., Jones, Derek K. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4409-8049, Madden, A., Mullins, D., Murphy, C. M., Murphy, D. G. M., Pasco, G., Spain, D., Stewart, R., Williams, S. C. and Baron-Cohen, S. 2010. Shared Neural Circuits for Mentalizing about the Self and Others. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 22 (7) , pp. 1623-1635. 10.1162/jocn.2009.21287

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Abstract

Although many examples exist for shared neural representations of self and other, it is unknown how such shared representations interact with the rest of the brain. Furthermore, do high-level inference-based shared mentalizing representations interact with lower level embodied/simulation-based shared representations? We used functional neuroimaging (fMRI) and a functional connectivity approach to assess these questions during high-level inference-based mentalizing. Shared mentalizing representations in ventromedial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate/precuneus, and temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) all exhibited identical functional connectivity patterns during mentalizing of both self and other. Connectivity patterns were distributed across low-level embodied neural systems such as the frontal operculum/ventral premotor cortex, the anterior insula, the primary sensorimotor cortex, and the presupplementary motor area. These results demonstrate that identical neural circuits are implementing processes involved in mentalizing of both self and other and that the nature of such processes may be the integration of low-level embodied processes within higher level inference-based mentalizing.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC) Psychology
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0321 Neuroscience. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Additional Information:	Pdf uploaded in accordance with publisher's policy at http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo/issn/0898-929X/ (accessed 26/02/2014).
Publisher:	MIT Press
ISSN:	0898-929x
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	30 March 2016
Last Modified:	04 May 2023 04:35
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/30705

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