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Reis JAS, Rossi GN, L Osório F, Bouso JC, Hallak JEC, Dos Santos RG. Interventions for deficits in recognition of emotions in facial expressions in major depressive disorder: An updated systematic review of clinical trials. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 153:105367. [PMID: 37619644 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
The recognition of emotions in facial expressions (REFE) is a core construct of social cognition. In the last decades, studies have showed that REFE is altered in major depressive disorder (MDD), but the evidence is conflicting. Thus, we conducted a systematic review of clinical trials involving therapeutic interventions in MDD and any evaluation of REFE to update (2018-2023) and systematically evaluate the evidence derived from controlled clinical trials on the effects of therapeutic strategies to MDD on the REFE. Eleven studies were included in the final review. Some interventions, including drugs (ketamine, bupropion, psylocibin) and non-pharmacological strategies (psychotherapy) seem to be able to reduce pre-existing REFE biases in MDD patients. However, there was a high heterogeneity in the evaluated studies, in terms of sample, interventions, tasks and results. Further studies and more consistent evaluation tools are highly needed to better understand nuanced deficits and specific actions of different treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Augusto Silva Reis
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Giordano Novak Rossi
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Flávia L Osório
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University São Paulo, SP, Brazil; National Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), CNPq, Brazil.
| | - José Carlos Bouso
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University São Paulo, SP, Brazil; International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research, and Service (ICEERS), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Department of Psychology and Research Center for Behavior Assessment (CRAMC), Tarragona, Spain.
| | - Jaime Eduardo Cecílio Hallak
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University São Paulo, SP, Brazil; National Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), CNPq, Brazil; International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research, and Service (ICEERS), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Rafael Guimarães Dos Santos
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University São Paulo, SP, Brazil; National Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), CNPq, Brazil; International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research, and Service (ICEERS), Barcelona, Spain.
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2
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Richardson H, Saxe R, Bedny M. Neural correlates of theory of mind reasoning in congenitally blind children. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 63:101285. [PMID: 37591011 PMCID: PMC10450415 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Vision is an important source of information about other minds for sighted children, especially prior to the onset of language. Visually observed actions, eye gaze, and facial expressions of others provide information about mental states, such as beliefs, desires, and emotions. Does such experience contribute causally to the development of cortical networks supporting social cognition? To address this question we compared functional development of brain regions supporting theory of mind (ToM), as well as behavioral ToM reasoning, across congenitally blind (n=17) and sighted (n=114) children and adolescents (4-17 years old). We find that blind children in this age range show slightly lower ToM behavioral performance relative to sighted children. Likewise, the functional profile of ToM brain regions is qualitatively similar, but quantitatively weaker in blind relative to sighted children. Alongside prior research, these data suggest that vision facilitates, but is not necessary for, ToM development.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Richardson
- School of Philosophy, Psychology, and Language Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
| | - R Saxe
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - M Bedny
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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3
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Ferrari E, Butti N, Gagliardi C, Romaniello R, Borgatti R, Urgesi C. Cognitive predictors of Social processing in congenital atypical development. J Autism Dev Disord 2023; 53:3343-3355. [PMID: 35729297 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05630-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
According to current accounts of social cognition, the emergence of verbal and non-verbal components of social perception might rely on the acquisition of different cognitive abilities. These components might be differently sensitive to the pattern of neuropsychological impairments in congenital neurodevelopmental disorders. Here, we explored the association between social and non-social cognitive domains by administering subtests of the NEPSY-II battery to 92 patients with Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IDD). Regardless the level of intellectual functioning and presence of congenital brain malformations, results revealed that visuospatial skills predicted emotion recognition and verbal component of Theory of Mind, whereas imitation predicted the non-verbal one. Future interventions might focus on spatial and sensorimotor abilities to boost the development of social cognition in IDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Ferrari
- Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, Neuropsychiatry and Neurorehabilitation Unit, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy.
| | - Niccolò Butti
- Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, Neuropsychiatry and Neurorehabilitation Unit, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
- PhD Program in Neural and Cognitive Sciences, Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Chiara Gagliardi
- Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, Neuropsychiatry and Neurorehabilitation Unit, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
- SPAEE, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy
| | - Romina Romaniello
- Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, Neuropsychiatry and Neurorehabilitation Unit, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
| | - Renato Borgatti
- IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Cosimo Urgesi
- Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, Neuropsychiatry and Neurorehabilitation Unit, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
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4
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Smith E, Xiao Y, Xie H, Manwaring SS, Farmer C, Thompson L, D'Souza P, Thurm A, Redcay E. Posterior superior temporal cortex connectivity is related to social communication in toddlers. Infant Behav Dev 2023; 71:101831. [PMID: 37012188 PMCID: PMC10330088 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2023.101831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023]
Abstract
The second year of life is a time when social communication skills typically develop, but this growth may be slower in toddlers with language delay. In the current study, we examined how brain functional connectivity is related to social communication abilities in a sample of 12-24 month-old toddlers including those with typical development (TD) and those with language delays (LD). We used an a-priori, seed-based approach to identify regions forming a functional network with the left posterior superior temporal cortex (LpSTC), a region associated with language and social communication in older children and adults. Social communication and language abilities were assessed using the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales (CSBS) and Mullen Scales of Early Learning. We found a significant association between concurrent CSBS scores and functional connectivity between the LpSTC and the right posterior superior temporal cortex (RpSTC), with greater connectivity between these regions associated with better social communication abilities. However, functional connectivity was not related to rate of change or language outcomes at 36 months of age. These data suggest an early marker of low communication abilities may be decreased connectivity between the left and right pSTC. Future longitudinal studies should test whether this neurobiological feature is predictive of later social or communication impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Smith
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, USA
| | - Yaqiong Xiao
- Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China; Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, USA
| | - Hua Xie
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, USA
| | - Stacy S Manwaring
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Utah, USA
| | - Cristan Farmer
- Neurodevelopmental and Behavioral Phenotyping Service, National Institute of Mental Health, USA
| | - Lauren Thompson
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Washington State University, USA
| | - Precilla D'Souza
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Human Genome Research Institute, USA
| | - Audrey Thurm
- Neurodevelopmental and Behavioral Phenotyping Service, National Institute of Mental Health, USA
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5
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Altered cortical gyrification, sulcal depth, and fractal dimension in the autism spectrum disorder comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder than the autism spectrum disorder. Neuroreport 2023; 34:93-101. [PMID: 36608165 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000001864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently occurs accompanied by attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which catches increasing attention. The comorbid diagnosis of ASD with ADHD (ASD + ADHD) is permitted in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V). However, compared to autism spectrum disorder without other symptoms (ASD-only), the special neural underpinnings in ASD+ADHD remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to uncover the differences in cortical complexity between ASD + ADHD and ASD-only patients. A total of 114 ASD participants (i.e. containing 40 ASD + ADHD and 74 ASD-only participants) with T1-weighted magnetic resonance images were collected from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange II. Afterward, a surface-based morphometry method was carried out to compare the cortical complexity (i.e. gyrification index, fractal dimension, and sulcal depth) between the ASD + ADHD and ASD-only cohorts. Results showed the increased fractal dimension in the right fusiform gyrus of the ASD + ADHD cohort in comparison to the ASD-only cohort. Moreover, the ASD + ADHD cohort exhibited increased sulcal depth in the left middle temporal gyrus/inferior temporal gyrus and right middle temporal gyrus compared to the ASD-only cohort. Last but not least, the increased gyrification index in the insula/postcentral gyrus was observed in the ASD + ADHD cohort in comparison to the ASD-only cohort. Overall, the present study contributes to the delineation of particular structural abnormalities in ASD + ADHD than ASD-only, enriching the evidence of the combined phenotype of ASD + ADHD.
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6
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Bray KO, Pozzi E, Vijayakumar N, Richmond S, Seal M, Pantelis C, Anderson V, Whittle S. Empathy and resting-state functional connectivity in children. NEUROIMAGE: REPORTS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ynirp.2022.100142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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7
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Yu YT, Lin CH, Li HJ, Tsai CH, Chen KL. Different mediators of applied theory-of-mind competence in children with autism spectrum disorder. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2022; 130:104335. [PMID: 36126533 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2022.104335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) with mild and moderate symptom levels have significant differences in applied theory of mind (ToM) competence. However, their mediators of applied ToM competence have not been documented. AIMS This study aimed to identify the mediators of applied ToM competence in these two clinically distinct groups. METHODS A total of 163 children with ASD aged 3-12 years old (88 and 75 children respectively in the mild and moderate groups) and their caregivers participated in this study. Data of children's verbal comprehension, explicit ToM knowledge and applied ToM competence were collected and then analyzed using mediation analysis. RESULTS The results of mediation analysis showed that verbal comprehension (95% confidence interval [CI] of indirect effect: 0.02 - 0.19) and explicit ToM knowledge (95% CI of indirect effect: 0.01 - 0.07) were the mediators of applied ToM competence in children with mild and those with moderate symptoms, respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Our findings demonstrate that the mediators of applied ToM competence differ by symptom level in children with ASD. Applied ToM competence and the mediators should be assessed for designing tailored and effective intervention plans for these children according to their symptom level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yen-Ting Yu
- School of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Ho Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Hsing-Jung Li
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Municipal Kai-Syuan Psychiatric Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Hong Tsai
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Municipal Kai-Syuan Psychiatric Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Kuan-Lin Chen
- Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; Institute of Allied Health Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
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8
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Merchant JS, Alkire D, Redcay E. Neural similarity between mentalizing and live social interaction during the transition to adolescence. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:4074-4090. [PMID: 35545954 PMCID: PMC9374881 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Social interactions are essential for human development, yet little neuroimaging research has examined their underlying neurocognitive mechanisms using socially interactive paradigms during childhood and adolescence. Recent neuroimaging research has revealed activity in the mentalizing network when children engage with a live social partner, even when mentalizing is not required. While this finding suggests that social‐interactive contexts may spontaneously engage mentalizing, it is not a direct test of how similarly the brain responds to these two contexts. The current study used representational similarity analysis on data from 8‐ to 14‐year‐olds who made mental and nonmental judgments about an abstract character and a live interaction partner during fMRI. A within‐subject, 2 (Mental/Nonmental) × 2 (Peer/Character) design enabled us to examine response pattern similarity between conditions, and estimate fit to three conceptual models of how the two contexts relate: (1) social interaction and mentalizing about an abstract character are represented similarly; (2) interactive peers and abstract characters are represented differently regardless of the evaluation type; and (3) mental and nonmental states are represented dissimilarly regardless of target. We found that the temporal poles represent mentalizing and peer interactions similarly (Model 1), suggesting a neurocognitive link between the two in these regions. Much of the rest of the social brain exhibits different representations of interactive peers and abstract characters (Model 2). Our findings highlight the importance of studying social‐cognitive processes using interactive approaches, and the utility of pattern‐based analyses for understanding how social‐cognitive processes relate to each other.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junaid S Merchant
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Diana Alkire
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Elizabeth Redcay
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
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9
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Decreased gray matter volume is associated with theory of mind deficit in adolescents with schizophrenia. Brain Imaging Behav 2022; 16:1441-1450. [PMID: 35060009 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-021-00591-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia patients often suffer from deficit in theory of mind (TOM). Prior neuroimaging studies revealed neuroimaging correlates of TOM deficit in adults with schizophrenia, neuroimaging correlates of TOM in adolescents is less well established. This study aimed to investigate gray matter volume (GMV) abnormalities and TOM deficits in schizophrenic adolescents, and examine the relationship between them. Twenty adolescent schizophrenic patients and 25 age, sex-matched healthy controls underwent T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, and were examined for TOM based on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test (RMET). Univariate voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and multivariate source-based morphometry (SBM) were employed to examine alterations of two GMV phenotypes in schizophrenic adolescents: voxel-wise GMV and covarying structural brain patterns (SBPs). Compared with controls, our results revealed a significant deficit in RMET performance of the patients, Voxel-wise VBM analysis revealed that patients exhibited decreased GMV in bilateral insula, orbitofrontal cortex, and right rolandic operculum, and GMV of these brain regions were positively correlated with RMET performance. Multivariate SBM analysis identified a significantly different between-group SBP comprising of bilateral insula and inferior frontal cortex, bilateral superior temporal cortex, and bilateral lateral parietal cortex and right rolandic operculum. The loading scores of this SBP was positively correlated with RMET performance. This study revealed impairment of TOM ability in schizophrenic adolescents and revealed an association between TOM deficit and decreased GMV in regions which are crucial for social cognition, thereby provided insight and possible target regions for understanding the neural pathology and normalizing TOM deficit in adolescent schizophrenia patients.
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10
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Lincoln SH, Mukerji CM, Dodell-Feder D, Riccio A, Hooker CI. The Neural Basis of Social Cognition in Typically Developing Children and Its Relationship to Social Functioning. Front Psychol 2021; 12:714176. [PMID: 34955950 PMCID: PMC8703015 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.714176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Theory of mind (ToM), the ability to think about the perspectives, beliefs, and feelings of another, develops throughout childhood and adolescence and is an important skill for social interactions. This study examines neural activity in typically developing children during a novel ToM task - the Movie Mentalizing Task- and tests its relations to ToM behavioral performance and social functioning. In this fMRI task, children ages 8-13years (N=25) watched a brief movie clip and were asked to predict a character's mental state after a social interaction. Engaging in the Movie Mentalizing Task activated the ToM neural network. Moreover, greater neural activity in the ToM network, including the superior temporal gyrus and inferior frontal gyrus, was associated with better behavioral performance on independent ToM tasks and was related to better social functioning, though these results do not survive correction for multiple comparisons. Results offer a new affective theory of mind task for children in the scanner that robustly recruits activity in theory of mind regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Hope Lincoln
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Cora M Mukerji
- Department of Psychology, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA, United States
| | - David Dodell-Feder
- Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Arianna Riccio
- Boston University School of Social Work, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Christine I Hooker
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
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11
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Are We Right about the Right TPJ? A Review of Brain Stimulation and Social Cognition in the Right Temporal Parietal Junction. Symmetry (Basel) 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/sym13112219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In the past decade, the functional role of the TPJ (Temporal Parietal Junction) has become more evident in terms of its contribution to social cognition. Studies have revealed the TPJ as a ‘distinguisher’ of self and other with research focused on non-clinical populations as well as in individuals with Autism and Type I Schizophrenia. Further research has focused on the integration of self-other distinctions with proprioception. Much of what we now know about the causal role of the right TPJ derives from TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation), rTMS repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation), and tDCS (transcranial Direct Cortical Stimulation). In this review, we focus on the role of the right TPJ as a moderator of self, which is integrated and distinct from ‘other’ and how brain stimulation has established the causal relationship between the underlying cortex and agency.
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12
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Borbás R, Fehlbaum LV, Rudin U, Stadler C, Raschle NM. Neural correlates of theory of mind in children and adults using CAToon: Introducing an open-source child-friendly neuroimaging task. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 49:100959. [PMID: 33989857 PMCID: PMC8134957 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.100959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Theory of Mind (ToM) or mentalizing is a basic social skill which is characterized by our ability of perspective-taking and the understanding of cognitive and emotional states of others. ToM development is essential to successfully navigate in various social contexts. The neural basis of mentalizing is well-studied in adults, however, less evidence exists in children. Potential reasons are methodological challenges, including a lack of age-appropriate fMRI paradigms. We introduce a novel child-friendly and open-source ToM fMRI task, for which accuracy and performance were evaluated behaviorally in 60 children ages three to nine (32♂). Furthermore, 27 healthy young adults (14♂; mean = 25.41 years) and 33 children ages seven to thirteen (17♂; mean = 9.06 years) completed the Cognitive and Affective Theory of Mind Cartoon task (CAToon;www.jacobscenter.uzh.ch/en/research/developmental_neuroscience/downloads/catoon.html) during a fMRI session. Behavioral results indicate that children of all ages can solve the CAToon task above chance level, though reliable performance is reached around five years. Neurally, activation increases were observed for adults and children in brain regions previously associated with mentalizing, including bilateral temporoparietal junction, temporal gyri, precuneus and medial prefrontal/orbitofrontal cortices. We conclude that CAToon is suitable for developmental neuroimaging studies within an fMRI environment starting around preschool and up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Réka Borbás
- Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development at the University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Basel, University Psychiatric Clinics Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Lynn V Fehlbaum
- Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development at the University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Basel, University Psychiatric Clinics Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ursula Rudin
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Basel, University Psychiatric Clinics Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christina Stadler
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Basel, University Psychiatric Clinics Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nora M Raschle
- Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development at the University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Basel, University Psychiatric Clinics Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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13
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Pastorino GMG, Operto FF, Padovano C, Vivenzio V, Scuoppo C, Pastorino N, Roccella M, Vetri L, Carotenuto M, Coppola G. Social Cognition in Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Epilepsy. Front Neurol 2021; 12:658823. [PMID: 33935956 PMCID: PMC8079621 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.658823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The purpose of our study was to perform a comparative analysis of social cognition in children and adolescents with epilepsy, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), specific learning disorder (SLD) and in typical development (TD) controls. The secondary aim was to relate social cognition to some clinical and demographic characteristics. Methods: Our work is a transversal observational study. The recruits were 179 children and adolescents aged between 6 and 18 years diagnosed with epilepsy, ASD, or SLD and 32 subjects with TD. All the participants underwent neuropsychological assessment of Emotion Recognition (ER) and Theory of Mind (ToM) skills. Results: All three clinical groups performed significantly worse than controls in ER and ToM. The ASD group achieved significantly lower performance than the other groups; however, the scores of SLD and epilepsy groups were comparable. The ER performances are related to non-verbal intelligence only in the group with epilepsy. Conclusion: Children and adolescents with focal epilepsy, SLD, or ASD may present a deficit of varying extent in emotion recognition and ToM, compared with TD peers. These difficulties are more pronounced in individuals with ASD, but impairment worthy of clinical attention also emerges in individuals with SLD and epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grazia Maria Giovanna Pastorino
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Francesca Felicia Operto
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Chiara Padovano
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Valentina Vivenzio
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Chiara Scuoppo
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Nazareno Pastorino
- Department of Cultural Heritage Sciences, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Michele Roccella
- Department of Psychological, Pedagogical and Educational Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Luigi Vetri
- Department of Psychological, Pedagogical and Educational Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Marco Carotenuto
- Department of Mental Health, Physical and Preventive Medicine, Clinic of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Giangennaro Coppola
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
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14
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Correlates and antecedents of theory of mind development during middle childhood and adolescence: An integrated model. DEVELOPMENTAL REVIEW 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2020.100945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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15
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Vandewouw MM, Dunkley BT, Lerch JP, Anagnostou E, Taylor MJ. Characterizing Inscapes and resting-state in MEG: Effects in typical and atypical development. Neuroimage 2020; 225:117524. [PMID: 33147510 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Examining the brain at rest is a powerful approach used to understand the intrinsic properties of typical and disordered human brain function, yet task-free paradigms are associated with greater head motion, particularly in young and/or clinical populations such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Inscapes, a non-social and non-verbal movie paradigm, has been introduced to increase attention, thus mitigating head motion, while reducing the task-induced activations found during typical movie watching. Inscapes has not yet been validated for use in magnetoencephalography (MEG), and it has yet to be shown whether its effects are stable in clinical populations. Across typically developing (N = 32) children and adolescents and those with ASD (N = 46) and ADHD (N = 42), we demonstrate that head motion is reduced during Inscapes. Due to the task state evoked by movie paradigms, we also expectedly observed concomitant modulations in local neural activity (oscillatory power) and functional connectivity (phase and envelope coupling) in intrinsic resting-state networks and across the frequency spectra compared to a fixation cross resting-state. Increases in local activity were accompanied by decreases in low-frequency connectivity within and between resting-state networks, primarily the visual network, suggesting that task-state evoked by Inscapes moderates ongoing and spontaneous cortical inhibition that forms the idling intrinsic networks found during a fixation cross resting-state. Importantly, these effects were similar in ASD and ADHD, making Inscapes a well-suited advancement for investigations of resting brain function in young and clinical populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlee M Vandewouw
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; Autism Research Centre, Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
| | - Benjamin T Dunkley
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jason P Lerch
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Evdokia Anagnostou
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; Autism Research Centre, Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Margot J Taylor
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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16
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Johansson AGM, Källman M, Högman L, Kristiansson M, Fischer H, Bölte S. Psychotically driven aggression is associated with greater mentalizing challenges in psychotic spectrum disorders. BMC Psychiatry 2020; 20:470. [PMID: 32993582 PMCID: PMC7526168 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-020-02868-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Some aggressive acts committed by individuals with psychotic spectrum disorders (PSD) are understandable in the context of interpersonal conflict or goal attainment, yet others are unpredictable, arising from delusions or hallucinations (psychotically driven aggressive acts, PDA). It is unknown if there are underlying differences in cognitive or perceptive social cognition in relation to aggression motivation in PSD. METHOD We compared differences in social cognition performance between 49 individuals with PSD who had committed PDA with those exhibiting other types of aggression (n = 31) (non-PDA) and to community controls (n = 81) on the Swedish version of Double Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition - Multiple Choice (DMASC-MC). Participants with PSD had more than 3 months of clinical stability and substance use abstention and stable antipsychotic medication doses. General intellectual ability was assessed with the information and matrix reasoning subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scales. RESULTS The PSD group with a history of PDA exhibited lower total and perceptive social cognition scores on the DMASC-MC than the non-PDA group and controls. In addition, they also showed lower cognitive scores compared to typical controls. Lower total scores were associated with lower scores on Wechsler intelligence subtests information and matrix reasoning. Taking this into account, the PDA group still had lower social cognition scores. There were no associations of antipsychotic medication dosages, positive or negative symptoms with social cognition scores. Higher antipsychotic dosage at the time of DMASC-MC testing and social cognition scores predicted a past history of PDA. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that impaired social cognition, particularly perceptive social cognition, is associated with PDA in individuals with PSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anette GM Johansson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research; Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet &, Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, 113 30 Stockholm, Sweden
- Centre for Psychiatry Research, 113 64 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Malin Källman
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research; Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet &, Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, 113 30 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lennart Högman
- Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marianne Kristiansson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Håkan Fischer
- Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sven Bölte
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, 118 61 Sweden
- Curtin Autism Research Group, School of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia Australia
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17
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Chen G, Taylor PA, Qu X, Molfese PJ, Bandettini PA, Cox RW, Finn ES. Untangling the relatedness among correlations, part III: Inter-subject correlation analysis through Bayesian multilevel modeling for naturalistic scanning. Neuroimage 2020; 216:116474. [PMID: 31884057 PMCID: PMC7299750 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
While inter-subject correlation (ISC) analysis is a powerful tool for naturalistic scanning data, drawing appropriate statistical inferences is difficult due to the daunting task of accounting for the intricate relatedness in data structure as well as handling the multiple testing issue. Although the linear mixed-effects (LME) modeling approach (Chen et al., 2017a) is capable of capturing the relatedness in the data and incorporating explanatory variables, there are a few challenging issues: 1) it is difficult to assign accurate degrees of freedom for each testing statistic, 2) multiple testing correction is potentially over-penalizing due to model inefficiency, and 3) thresholding necessitates arbitrary dichotomous decisions. Here we propose a Bayesian multilevel (BML) framework for ISC data analysis that integrates all regions of interest into one model. By loosely constraining the regions through a weakly informative prior, BML dissolves multiplicity through conservatively pooling the effect of each region toward the center and improves collective fitting and overall model performance. In addition to potentially achieving a higher inference efficiency, BML improves spatial specificity and easily allows the investigator to adopt a philosophy of full results reporting. A dataset of naturalistic scanning is utilized to illustrate the modeling approach with 268 parcels and to showcase the modeling capability, flexibility and advantages in results reporting. The associated program will be available as part of the AFNI suite for general use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Chen
- Scientific and Statistical Computing Core, National Institute of Mental Health, USA.
| | - Paul A Taylor
- Scientific and Statistical Computing Core, National Institute of Mental Health, USA
| | - Xianggui Qu
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Oakland University, USA
| | - Peter J Molfese
- Section on Functional Imaging Methods, National Institute of Mental Health, USA
| | - Peter A Bandettini
- Section on Functional Imaging Methods, National Institute of Mental Health, USA
| | - Robert W Cox
- Scientific and Statistical Computing Core, National Institute of Mental Health, USA
| | - Emily S Finn
- Section on Functional Imaging Methods, National Institute of Mental Health, USA
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18
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Rusch T, Steixner-Kumar S, Doshi P, Spezio M, Gläscher J. Theory of mind and decision science: Towards a typology of tasks and computational models. Neuropsychologia 2020; 146:107488. [PMID: 32407906 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The ability to form a Theory of Mind (ToM), i.e., to theorize about others' mental states to explain and predict behavior in relation to attributed intentional states, constitutes a hallmark of human cognition. These abilities are multi-faceted and include a variety of different cognitive sub-functions. Here, we focus on decision processes in social contexts and review a number of experimental and computational modeling approaches in this field. We provide an overview of experimental accounts and formal computational models with respect to two dimensions: interactivity and uncertainty. Thereby, we aim at capturing the nuances of ToM functions in the context of social decision processes. We suggest there to be an increase in ToM engagement and multiplexing as social cognitive decision-making tasks become more interactive and uncertain. We propose that representing others as intentional and goal directed agents who perform consequential actions is elicited only at the edges of these two dimensions. Further, we argue that computational models of valuation and beliefs follow these dimensions to best allow researchers to effectively model sophisticated ToM-processes. Finally, we relate this typology to neuroimaging findings in neurotypical (NT) humans, studies of persons with autism spectrum (AS), and studies of nonhuman primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa Rusch
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20251, Hamburg, Germany; Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA.
| | - Saurabh Steixner-Kumar
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Prashant Doshi
- Department of Computer Science, University of Georgia, 539 Boyd GSRC, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Michael Spezio
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20251, Hamburg, Germany; Psychology, Neuroscience, and Data Science, Scripps College, 1030 N Columbia Ave, Claremont, CA, 91711, USA.
| | - Jan Gläscher
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
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19
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The Lens Shapes the View: on Task Dependency in ToM Research. Curr Behav Neurosci Rep 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s40473-020-00205-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Purpose of Review
This article provides an overview of current findings on Theory of Mind (ToM) in human children and adults and highlights the relationship between task specifications and their outcome in socio-cognitive research.
Recent Findings
ToM, the capacity to reason about and infer others’ mental states, develops progressively throughout childhood—the exact time course is still a matter of debate. Neuroimaging studies indicate the involvement of a widespread neuronal network during mentalizing, suggesting that ToM is a multifaceted process. Accordingly, the tasks and trainings that currently exist to investigate and enhance ToM are heterogeneous, and the outcomes largely depend on the paradigm that was used.
Summary
We argue for the implementation of multiple-task batteries in the assessment of socio-cognitive abilities. Decisions for a particular paradigm need to be carefully considered and justified. We want to emphasize the importance of targeted research on the relationship between task specifications and outcomes.
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20
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Wysocka J, Golec K, Haman M, Wolak T, Kochański B, Pluta A. Processing False Beliefs in Preschool Children and Adults: Developing a Set of Custom Tasks to Test the Theory of Mind in Neuroimaging and Behavioral Research. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:119. [PMID: 32351372 PMCID: PMC7174551 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The theory of mind (ToM) is the ability to attribute mental states to others and is extremely important for social functioning. It has been widely examined in both behavioral and neuroimaging research, usually with the use of the many versions of the false-belief (FB) task. However, there is still not enough evidence from studies on the neurodevelopmental mechanisms of ToM mostly because of methodological limitations: lack of selectivity, mismatch of experimental and control tasks, and focusing on participants older than 6 years old. In the current study, we attempted to develop a computerized tool for ToM assessment suitable for both behavioral and neuriomaging testing in preschoolers. We designed a version of the classic change-of-location task with custom visuals and three fine-tuned conditions: FB, true-belief, and no-belief (NB). The usability of the task for further application in neurodevelopmental research was tested with three methods: first, behaviorally, with the use of a touch screen on a group of 75 children, followed by a functional MRI (fMRI) study on 13 adults, and a functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) study on 19 preschool children. In line with our expectations, on the behavioral level, our task elicited the all-or-none performance in preschoolers. There was also a progression of performance with age in the FB condition. On the neural level, we observed the activation of structures involved in the ToM brain network in response to our task in both adults and children. The results therefore suggest that our task can be a useful tool for studying ToM development and its neural underpinnings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Wysocka
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Karolina Golec
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maciej Haman
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Wolak
- Bioimaging Research Center, World Hearing Center, Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Bartosz Kochański
- Bioimaging Research Center, World Hearing Center, Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Pluta
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.,Bioimaging Research Center, World Hearing Center, Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, Warsaw, Poland
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21
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Response patterns in the developing social brain are organized by social and emotion features and disrupted in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Cortex 2020; 125:12-29. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2019.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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22
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Tesar B, Deckert M, Schmoeger M, Willinger U. Electrophysiological Correlates of Basic and Higher Order Cognitive and Affective Theory of Mind Processing in Emerging and Early Adulthood—An Explorative Event-Related Potentials Study to Investigate First-, Second-, and Third-Order Theory of Mind Processing Based on Visual Cues. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:79. [PMID: 32296316 PMCID: PMC7136561 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Attributing mental states to others in social interactions [Theory of Mind (ToM)] often depends on visual social cues like eye gaze or mimic. This study presents an event-related potentials task (Brainy-ERP) that was developed in order to investigate the electrophysiological correlates of first-, second-, and third-order cognitive and affective ToM processing. The task was based on social visual cues and involved electroencephalographic event-related potential (ERP) analyses and exact low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography analyses (eLORETA) source localization analyses. Results showed that in cognitive and affective conditions, first-order trials elicited greater Anterior P2 (180–370 ms) amplitudes. In the cognitive condition, third-order trials elicited greatest amplitudes in the broadly distributed early negative slow wave (eNSW, 260–470 ms) and the late NSW (LNSW, 460–1,000 ms). In the affective condition, third-order and second-order trials elicited greatest amplitudes in a broadly distributed NSW (250–1,000 ms). Regarding affective trials in the NSW time span, statistical significant differences and trends were shown regarding activation of underlying brain regions. Third-order trials elicited greatest activation in a number of regions typically associated with the ToM network, especially the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), cuneus, and temporoparietal junction (TPJ). Furthermore, ToM low performers (participants with high accuracy but longer reaction times) showed by trend smaller Posterior N1 and significantly smaller eNSW amplitudes compared to average and high performers. This study offers new insights into electrophysiological correlates of basic and higher order cognitive and affective ToM processing and its precise time course.
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23
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Chen G, Taylor PA, Cox RW, Pessoa L. Fighting or embracing multiplicity in neuroimaging? neighborhood leverage versus global calibration. Neuroimage 2020; 206:116320. [PMID: 31698079 PMCID: PMC6980934 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2019] [Revised: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging faces the daunting challenge of multiple testing - an instance of multiplicity - that is associated with two other issues to some extent: low inference efficiency and poor reproducibility. Typically, the same statistical model is applied to each spatial unit independently in the approach of massively univariate modeling. In dealing with multiplicity, the general strategy employed in the field is the same regardless of the specifics: trust the local "unbiased" effect estimates while adjusting the extent of statistical evidence at the global level. However, in this approach, modeling efficiency is compromised because each spatial unit (e.g., voxel, region, matrix element) is treated as an isolated and independent entity during massively univariate modeling. In addition, the required step of multiple testing "correction" by taking into consideration spatial relatedness, or neighborhood leverage, can only partly recoup statistical efficiency, resulting in potentially excessive penalization as well as arbitrariness due to thresholding procedures. Moreover, the assigned statistical evidence at the global level heavily relies on the data space (whole brain or a small volume). The present paper reviews how Stein's paradox (1956) motivates a Bayesian multilevel (BML) approach that, rather than fighting multiplicity, embraces it to our advantage through a global calibration process among spatial units. Global calibration is accomplished via a Gaussian distribution for the cross-region effects whose properties are not a priori specified, but a posteriori determined by the data at hand through the BML model. Our framework therefore incorporates multiplicity as integral to the modeling structure, not a separate correction step. By turning multiplicity into a strength, we aim to achieve five goals: 1) improve the model efficiency with a higher predictive accuracy, 2) control the errors of incorrect magnitude and incorrect sign, 3) validate each model relative to competing candidates, 4) reduce the reliance and sensitivity on the choice of data space, and 5) encourage full results reporting. Our modeling proposal reverberates with recent proposals to eliminate the dichotomization of statistical evidence ("significant" vs. "non-significant"), to improve the interpretability of study findings, as well as to promote reporting the full gamut of results (not only "significant" ones), thereby enhancing research transparency and reproducibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Chen
- Scientific and Statistical Computing Core, National Institute of Mental Health, USA.
| | - Paul A Taylor
- Scientific and Statistical Computing Core, National Institute of Mental Health, USA
| | - Robert W Cox
- Scientific and Statistical Computing Core, National Institute of Mental Health, USA
| | - Luiz Pessoa
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, USA; Maryland Neuroimaging Center, University of Maryland, College Park, USA
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24
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Abstract
Adrenarche, the post-natal rise of DHEA and DHEAS, is unique to humans and the African Apes. Recent findings have linked DHEA in humans to the development of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (LDPFC) between the ages of 4-8 years and the right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) from 7 to 12 years of age. Given the association of the LDLPFC with the 5-to-8 transition and the rTPJ with mentalizing during middle childhood DHEA may have played an important role in the evolution of the human brain. I argue that increasing protein in the diet over the course of human evolution not only increased levels of DHEAS, but linked meat consumption with brain development during the important 5- to-8 transition. Consumption of animal protein has been associated with IGF-1, implicated in the development of the adrenal zona reticularis (ZR), the site of DHEAS production. In humans and chimps, the zona reticularis emerges at 3-4 years, along with the onset of DHEA/S production. For chimps this coincides with weaning and peak synaptogenesis. Among humans, weaning is completed around 2 ½ years, while synaptogenesis peaks around 5 years. Thus, in chimpanzees, early cortical maturation is tied to the mother; in humans it may be associated with post-weaning provisioning by others. I call for further research on adrenarche among the African apes as a critical comparison to humans. I also suggest research in subsistence populations to establish the role of nutrition and energetics in the timing of adrenarche and the onset of middle childhood.
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25
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Chen G, Xiao Y, Taylor PA, Rajendra JK, Riggins T, Geng F, Redcay E, Cox RW. Handling Multiplicity in Neuroimaging Through Bayesian Lenses with Multilevel Modeling. Neuroinformatics 2019; 17:515-545. [PMID: 30649677 PMCID: PMC6635105 DOI: 10.1007/s12021-018-9409-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Here we address the current issues of inefficiency and over-penalization in the massively univariate approach followed by the correction for multiple testing, and propose a more efficient model that pools and shares information among brain regions. Using Bayesian multilevel (BML) modeling, we control two types of error that are more relevant than the conventional false positive rate (FPR): incorrect sign (type S) and incorrect magnitude (type M). BML also aims to achieve two goals: 1) improving modeling efficiency by having one integrative model and thereby dissolving the multiple testing issue, and 2) turning the focus of conventional null hypothesis significant testing (NHST) on FPR into quality control by calibrating type S errors while maintaining a reasonable level of inference efficiency. The performance and validity of this approach are demonstrated through an application at the region of interest (ROI) level, with all the regions on an equal footing: unlike the current approaches under NHST, small regions are not disadvantaged simply because of their physical size. In addition, compared to the massively univariate approach, BML may simultaneously achieve increased spatial specificity and inference efficiency, and promote results reporting in totality and transparency. The benefits of BML are illustrated in performance and quality checking using an experimental dataset. The methodology also avoids the current practice of sharp and arbitrary thresholding in the p-value funnel to which the multidimensional data are reduced. The BML approach with its auxiliary tools is available as part of the AFNI suite for general use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Chen
- Scientific and Statistical Computing Core, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Yaqiong Xiao
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Paul A Taylor
- Scientific and Statistical Computing Core, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Justin K Rajendra
- Scientific and Statistical Computing Core, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Tracy Riggins
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Fengji Geng
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Elizabeth Redcay
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Robert W Cox
- Scientific and Statistical Computing Core, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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26
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Mukerji CE, Lincoln SH, Dodell-Feder D, Nelson CA, Hooker CI. Neural correlates of theory-of-mind are associated with variation in children's everyday social cognition. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2019; 14:579-589. [PMID: 31194250 PMCID: PMC6688452 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsz040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Revised: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Theory of mind (ToM), the capacity to reason about others' mental states, is central to healthy social development. Neural mechanisms supporting ToM may contribute to individual differences in children's social cognitive behavior. Employing a false belief functional magnetic resonance imaging paradigm, we identified patterns of neural activity and connectivity elicited by ToM reasoning in school-age children (N = 32, ages 9-13). Next, we tested relations between these neural ToM correlates and children's everyday social cognition. Several key nodes of the neural ToM network showed greater activity when reasoning about false beliefs (ToM condition) vs non-mentalistic false content (control condition), including the bilateral temporoparietal junction (RTPJ and LTPJ), precuneus (PC) and right superior temporal sulcus. In addition, children demonstrated task-modulated changes in connectivity among these regions to support ToM relative to the control condition. ToM-related activity in the PC was negatively associated with variation in multiple aspects of children's social cognitive behavior. Together, these findings elucidate how nodes of the ToM network act and interact to support false belief reasoning in school-age children and suggest that neural ToM mechanisms are linked to variation in everyday social cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cora E Mukerji
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 33 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1 Autumn Street, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Sarah Hope Lincoln
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 33 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - David Dodell-Feder
- Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, Meliora Hall, Rochester, NY 14627, USA
| | - Charles A Nelson
- Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1 Autumn Street, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, 13 Appian Way, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
| | - Christine I Hooker
- Department of Psychiatry, Rush University Medical Center, 1645 W. Jackson Boulevard, Suite 600, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
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