Shared Neural Circuits for Mentalizing about the Self and Others

■ 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 TPJ all exhibited identical functional connectivity patterns during mentalizing of both self and other. Connectivity patterns were distributed across lowlevel 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 involv...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2010
• Where: JOCN
• Authors: Michael V. Lombardo, Bhismadev Chakrabarti, Edward T. Bullmore, Sally J. Wheelwright, Susan A. Sadek, John Suckling, Simon Baron-Cohen
• Keywords: Connectivity Patterns, Functional Connectivity, JOCN 2010, Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex