1
|
Le Petit M, Eustache F, Perrier J, de La Sayette V, Desgranges B, Laisney M. Functional connectivity of the medial prefrontal cortex related to mindreading abilities. Cereb Cortex Commun 2022; 3:tgac032. [PMID: 36090668 PMCID: PMC9454031 DOI: 10.1093/texcom/tgac032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex is a key region of mindreading belonging to the mentalizing system, a set of brain areas underlying mental state inference based on reasoning on social concepts. The aim of this study was to characterize the functional connectivity between regions involved in mindreading and to highlight the processes it underpins, focusing on the dorsal and ventral parts of the medial prefrontal cortex. We analyzed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging of 56 healthy volunteers, to study the relationship between mindreading abilities and functional connectivity of the medial prefrontal cortex. Cognitive mindreading performances were correlated with connectivity between the medial prefrontal cortex and frontal regions involved in the regulation of the salience of one’s own mental contents, with a distinction between the dorsal part connected to regions subtending inhibition processes and the ventral part to emotional regions. Affective mindreading performances were negatively correlated with negative connectivity of the ventro- and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex with sensorimotor regions belonging to the mirror neuron system subtending the simulation of mental states. These findings suggested a role of the medial prefrontal cortex to decrease the salience of one’s own mental content and in the antisynchronous interaction between the mentalizing and mirror neurons systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marine Le Petit
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, PSL Université Paris, EPHE, INSERM, U1077, CHU de Caen, Centre Cyceron, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine , 14000 Caen, France
| | - Francis Eustache
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, PSL Université Paris, EPHE, INSERM, U1077, CHU de Caen, Centre Cyceron, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine , 14000 Caen, France
| | - Joy Perrier
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, PSL Université Paris, EPHE, INSERM, U1077, CHU de Caen, Centre Cyceron, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine , 14000 Caen, France
| | - Vincent de La Sayette
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, PSL Université Paris, EPHE, INSERM, U1077, CHU de Caen, Centre Cyceron, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine , 14000 Caen, France
| | - Béatrice Desgranges
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, PSL Université Paris, EPHE, INSERM, U1077, CHU de Caen, Centre Cyceron, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine , 14000 Caen, France
| | - Mickaël Laisney
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, PSL Université Paris, EPHE, INSERM, U1077, CHU de Caen, Centre Cyceron, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine , 14000 Caen, France
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Transcranial direct current stimulation of the LTPJ shifts the agent’s behaviors in repeated hold-up game. Neurosci Res 2022; 181:79-86. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2022.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
|
3
|
Valera-Bermejo JM, De Marco M, Mitolo M, Cerami C, Dodich A, Venneri A. Large-Scale Functional Networks, Cognition and Brain Structures Supporting Social Cognition and Theory of Mind Performance in Prodromal to Mild Alzheimer's Disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:766703. [PMID: 34867292 PMCID: PMC8636093 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.766703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Impairment of social cognition (SC) skills such as recognition and attribution of intentions and affective states of others (Theory of Mind, ToM) has been evidenced in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). This study investigated the neuropsychological, neuroanatomical and brain-functional underpinnings of SC processing to obtain an understanding of the social neurophenotype in early probable AD. Forty-six patients with mild cognitive impairment and mild probable AD underwent SC assessment including emotion recognition (Ekman-60-faces task) and cognitive and affective ToM (Reading-the-Mind-in-the-Eyes test and Story-based Empathy task). Linear models tested the association between SC scores and neuropsychological measures, grey matter maps and large-scale functional networks activity. The executive domain had the most predominant association with SC scores in the cognitive profile. Grey matter volume of the anterior cingulate, orbitofrontal, temporoparietal junction (TPJ), superior temporal, and cerebellar cortices were associated with ToM. Social cognition scores were associated with lower connectivity of the default-mode network with the prefrontal cortex. The right fronto-parietal network displayed higher inter-network connectivity in the right TPJ and insula while the salience network showed lower inter-network connectivity with the left TPJ and insula. Connectivity coupling alterations of executive-attentional networks may support default mode social-cognitive-associated decline through the recruitment of frontal executive mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Matteo De Marco
- Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Micaela Mitolo
- Functional and Molecular Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Chiara Cerami
- IUSS Cognitive Neuroscience (ICoN) Center, University School for Advanced Studies IUSS-Pavia, Pavia, Italy.,Cognitive Computational Neuroscience Research Unit, Mondino Foundation IRCCS, Pavia, Italy
| | - Alessandra Dodich
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), Università degli Studi di Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Annalena Venneri
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.,Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University London, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Yizhar O, Levy DR. The social dilemma: prefrontal control of mammalian sociability. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 68:67-75. [PMID: 33549950 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian social interactions are orchestrated by a wide array of neural circuits. While some aspects of social behaviors are driven by subcortical circuits, and are considered to be highly conserved and hard-wired, others require dynamic and context-dependent modulation that integrates current state, past experience and goal-driven action selection. These cognitive social processes are known to be dependent on the integrity of the prefrontal cortex. However, the circuit mechanisms through which the prefrontal cortex supports complex social functions are still largely unknown, and it is unclear if and how they diverge from prefrontal control of behavior outside of the social domain. Here we review recent studies exploring the role of prefrontal circuits in mammalian social functions, and attempt to synthesize these findings to a holistic view of prefrontal control of sociability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ofer Yizhar
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
| | - Dana R Levy
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Cao W, Zhu H, Li Y, Wang Y, Bai W, Lao U, Zhang Y, Ji Y, He S, Zou X. The Development of Brain Network in Males with Autism Spectrum Disorders from Childhood to Adolescence: Evidence from fNIRS Study. Brain Sci 2021; 11:120. [PMID: 33477412 PMCID: PMC7830916 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11010120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In the current study, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to collect resting-state signals from 77 males with autism spectrum disorders (ASD, age: 6~16.25) and 40 typically developing (TD) males (age: 6~16.58) in the theory-of-mind (ToM) network. The graph theory analysis was used to obtain the brain network properties in ToM network, and the multiple regression analysis demonstrated that males with ASD showed a comparable global network topology, and a similar age-related decrease in the medial prefrontal cortex area (mPFC) compared to TD individuals. Nevertheless, participants with ASD showed U-shaped trajectories of nodal metrics of right temporo-parietal junction (TPJ), and an age-related decrease in the left middle frontal gyrus (MFG), while trajectories of TD participants were opposite. The nodal metrics of the right TPJ was negatively associated with the social deficits of ASD, while the nodal metrics of the left MFG was negatively associated with the communication deficits of ASD. Current findings suggested a distinct developmental trajectory of the ToM network in males with ASD from childhood to adolescence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Cao
- Centre for Optical and Electromagnetic Research, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, South China Normal University (SCNU), Guangzhou 510006, China;
| | - Huilin Zhu
- Child Development & Behavior Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of SUN YAT-SEN University, No.2693, Kaichuang revenue, Lingnan Campuses, Guangzhou 510080, China; (H.Z.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.); (W.B.); (U.L.); (Y.Z.); (Y.J.)
| | - Yan Li
- Child Development & Behavior Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of SUN YAT-SEN University, No.2693, Kaichuang revenue, Lingnan Campuses, Guangzhou 510080, China; (H.Z.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.); (W.B.); (U.L.); (Y.Z.); (Y.J.)
| | - Yu Wang
- Child Development & Behavior Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of SUN YAT-SEN University, No.2693, Kaichuang revenue, Lingnan Campuses, Guangzhou 510080, China; (H.Z.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.); (W.B.); (U.L.); (Y.Z.); (Y.J.)
| | - Wuxia Bai
- Child Development & Behavior Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of SUN YAT-SEN University, No.2693, Kaichuang revenue, Lingnan Campuses, Guangzhou 510080, China; (H.Z.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.); (W.B.); (U.L.); (Y.Z.); (Y.J.)
| | - Uchong Lao
- Child Development & Behavior Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of SUN YAT-SEN University, No.2693, Kaichuang revenue, Lingnan Campuses, Guangzhou 510080, China; (H.Z.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.); (W.B.); (U.L.); (Y.Z.); (Y.J.)
| | - Yingying Zhang
- Child Development & Behavior Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of SUN YAT-SEN University, No.2693, Kaichuang revenue, Lingnan Campuses, Guangzhou 510080, China; (H.Z.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.); (W.B.); (U.L.); (Y.Z.); (Y.J.)
| | - Yan Ji
- Child Development & Behavior Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of SUN YAT-SEN University, No.2693, Kaichuang revenue, Lingnan Campuses, Guangzhou 510080, China; (H.Z.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.); (W.B.); (U.L.); (Y.Z.); (Y.J.)
| | - Sailing He
- Centre for Optical and Electromagnetic Research, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, South China Normal University (SCNU), Guangzhou 510006, China;
| | - Xiaobing Zou
- Child Development & Behavior Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of SUN YAT-SEN University, No.2693, Kaichuang revenue, Lingnan Campuses, Guangzhou 510080, China; (H.Z.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.); (W.B.); (U.L.); (Y.Z.); (Y.J.)
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Frontotemporal dementia, music perception and social cognition share neurobiological circuits: A meta-analysis. Brain Cogn 2021; 148:105660. [PMID: 33421942 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2020.105660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a neurodegenerative disease that presents with profound changes in social cognition. Music might be a sensitive probe for social cognition abilities, but underlying neurobiological substrates are unclear. We performed a meta-analysis of voxel-based morphometry studies in FTD patients and functional MRI studies for music perception and social cognition tasks in cognitively normal controls to identify robust patterns of atrophy (FTD) or activation (music perception or social cognition). Conjunction analyses were performed to identify overlapping brain regions. In total 303 articles were included: 53 for FTD (n = 1153 patients, 42.5% female; 1337 controls, 53.8% female), 28 for music perception (n = 540, 51.8% female) and 222 for social cognition in controls (n = 5664, 50.2% female). We observed considerable overlap in atrophy patterns associated with FTD, and functional activation associated with music perception and social cognition, mostly encompassing the ventral language network. We further observed overlap across all three modalities in mesolimbic, basal forebrain and striatal regions. The results of our meta-analysis suggest that music perception and social cognition share neurobiological circuits that are affected in FTD. This supports the idea that music might be a sensitive probe for social cognition abilities with implications for diagnosis and monitoring.
Collapse
|
7
|
Cohen‐Zimerman S, Khilwani H, Smith GNL, Krueger F, Gordon B, Grafman J. The neural basis for mental state attribution: A voxel-based lesion mapping study. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:65-79. [PMID: 33030812 PMCID: PMC7721243 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to infer other persons' mental states, "Theory of Mind" (ToM), is a key function of social cognition and is needed when interpreting the intention of others. ToM is associated with a network of functionally related regions, with reportedly key prominent hubs located in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and the temporoparietal junction (TPJ). The involvement of (mainly the right) TPJ in ToM is based primarily on functional imaging studies that provide correlational evidence for brain-behavior associations. In this lesion study, we test whether certain brain areas are necessary for intact ToM performance. We investigated individuals with penetrating traumatic brain injury (n = 170) and healthy matched controls (n = 30) using voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping (VLSM) and by measuring the impact of a given lesion on white matter disconnections. ToM performance was compared between five patient groups based on lesion location: right TPJ, left TPJ, right dlPFC, left dlPFC, and other lesion, as well as healthy controls. The only group to present with lower ToM abilities was the one with lesions in the right dlPFC. Similarly, VLSM analysis revealed a main cluster in the right frontal middle gyrus and a secondary cluster in the left inferior parietal gyrus. Last, we found that disconnection of the left inferior longitudinal fasciculus and right superior longitudinal fasciculus were associated with poor ToM performance. This study highlights the importance of lesion studies in complementing functional neuroimaging findings and supports the assertion that the right dlPFC is a key region mediating mental state attribution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shira Cohen‐Zimerman
- Cognitive Neuroscience LaboratoryBrain Injury Research, Shirley Ryan AbilityLabChicagoIllinoisUSA
- Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Harsh Khilwani
- Cognitive Neuroscience LaboratoryBrain Injury Research, Shirley Ryan AbilityLabChicagoIllinoisUSA
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Gretchen N. L. Smith
- Cognitive Neuroscience LaboratoryBrain Injury Research, Shirley Ryan AbilityLabChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Frank Krueger
- School of Systems BiologyGeorge Mason UniversityFairfaxVirginiaUSA
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of MannheimMannheimGermany
| | - Barry Gordon
- Department of NeurologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
- Department of Cognitive ScienceJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Jordan Grafman
- Cognitive Neuroscience LaboratoryBrain Injury Research, Shirley Ryan AbilityLabChicagoIllinoisUSA
- Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA
- Department of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Cognitive Neurology & Alzheimer's Disease, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of PsychologyNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Hughes C, Cassidy BS, Faskowitz J, Avena-Koenigsberger A, Sporns O, Krendl AC. Age differences in specific neural connections within the Default Mode Network underlie theory of mind. Neuroimage 2019; 191:269-277. [PMID: 30794869 PMCID: PMC6492272 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.02.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2018] [Revised: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Theory of mind (i.e., the ability to infer others' mental states) - a fundamental social cognitive ability - declines with increasing age. Prior investigations have focused on identifying task-evoked differences in neural activation that underlie these performance declines. However, these declines could also be related to dysregulation of the baseline, or 'intrinsic', functional connectivity of the brain. If so, age differences in intrinsic connectivity may provide novel insight into the mechanisms that contribute to poorer theory of mind in older adults. To examine this possibility, we assessed younger and older adults' theory of mind while they underwent task-based fMRI, as well as the intrinsic functional connectivity measured during resting-state within the (task-defined) theory of mind network. Older adults exhibited poorer theory of mind behavioral performance and weaker intrinsic connectivity within this network compared to younger adults. Intrinsic connectivity between the right temporoparietal junction and the right temporal pole mediated age differences in theory of mind. Specifically, older adults had weaker intrinsic connectivity between right temporoparietal junction and right temporal pole that explained their poorer theory of mind behavioral performance. These findings broaden our understanding of aging and social cognition and reveal more specific mechanisms of how aging impacts theory of mind.
Collapse
|
9
|
Mitelman SA, Bralet MC, Mehmet Haznedar M, Hollander E, Shihabuddin L, Hazlett EA, Buchsbaum MS. Positron emission tomography assessment of cerebral glucose metabolic rates in autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. Brain Imaging Behav 2018; 12:532-546. [PMID: 28425060 PMCID: PMC5648637 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-017-9721-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Several models have been proposed to account for observed overlaps in clinical features and genetic predisposition between schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. This study assessed similarities and differences in topological patterns and vectors of glucose metabolism in both disorders in reference to these models. Co-registered 18fluorodeoxyglucose PET and MRI scans were obtained in 41 schizophrenia, 25 ASD, and 55 healthy control subjects. AFNI was used to map cortical and subcortical regions of interest. Metabolic rates were compared between three diagnostic groups using univariate and multivariate repeated-measures ANOVA. Compared to controls, metabolic rates in schizophrenia subjects were decreased in the frontal lobe, anterior cingulate, superior temporal gyrus, amygdala and medial thalamic nuclei; rates were increased in the occipital cortex, hippocampus, basal ganglia and lateral thalamic nuclei. In ASD subjects metabolic rates were decreased in the parietal lobe, frontal premotor and eye-fields areas, and amygdala; rates were increased in the posterior cingulate, occipital cortex, hippocampus and basal ganglia. In relation to controls, subjects with ASD and schizophrenia showed opposite changes in metabolic rates in the primary motor and somatosensory cortex, anterior cingulate and hypothalamus; similar changes were found in prefrontal and occipital cortices, inferior parietal lobule, amygdala, hippocampus, and basal ganglia. Schizophrenia and ASD appear to be associated with a similar pattern of metabolic abnormalities in the social brain. Divergent maladaptive trade-offs, as postulated by the diametrical hypothesis of their evolutionary relationship, may involve a more circumscribed set of anterior cingulate, motor and somatosensory regions and the specific cognitive functions they subserve.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Serge A Mitelman
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Elmhurst Hospital Center, 79-01 Broadway, Elmhurst, NY, 11373, USA.
| | - Marie-Cecile Bralet
- Crisalid Unit (FJ5), CHI Clermont de l'Oise, 2 rue des Finets, 60607, Clermont, France
- Inserm Unit U669, Maison de Solenn, Universities Paris 5-11, 75014, Paris, France
- GDR 3557 Recherche Psychiatrie, Paris, France
| | - M Mehmet Haznedar
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Outpatient Psychiatry Care Center, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10468, USA
| | - Eric Hollander
- Autism and Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Program, Anxiety and Depression Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10467, USA
| | - Lina Shihabuddin
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Erin A Hazlett
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Research and Development and VISN 2 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10468, USA
| | - Monte S Buchsbaum
- Departments of Psychiatry and Radiology, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, NeuroPET Center, 11388 Sorrento Valley Road, Suite #100, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| |
Collapse
|