Establishing a role of the semantic control network in social cognitive processing: A meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging studies
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated whether the neural activation commonly found in social functional neuroimaging studies extends to these "semantic control" regions, namely the anterior inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and posterior middle temporal gyrus.
About: This article is published in NeuroImage.The article was published on 2021-10-30 and is currently open access. It has received 18 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Functional neuroimaging & Social cognition.
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TL;DR: In this paper , the authors performed an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis across 212 neuroimaging experiments on conceptual processing related to seven perceptual-motor modalities (action, sound, visual shape, motion, color, olfaction-gustation, and emotion).
6 citations
TL;DR: In this article , the authors used ATL-optimized fMRI to map the contribution of different ATL structures to a variety of paradigms frequently used to probe a crucial social ability, namely 'theory of mind' (ToM).
Abstract: A key challenge for neurobiological models of social cognition is to elucidate whether brain regions are specialised for that domain. In recent years, discussion surrounding the role of anterior temporal regions epitomises such debates; some argue the anterior temporal lobe (ATL) is part of a domain-specific network for social processing, while others claim it comprises a domain-general hub for semantic representation. In the present study, we used ATL-optimised fMRI to map the contribution of different ATL structures to a variety of paradigms frequently used to probe a crucial social ability, namely 'theory of mind' (ToM). Using multiple tasks enables a clearer attribution of activation to ToM as opposed to idiosyncratic features of stimuli. Further, we directly explored whether these same structures are also activated by a non-social task probing semantic representations. We revealed that common to all of the tasks was activation of a key ventrolateral ATL region that is often invisible to standard fMRI. This constitutes novel evidence in support of the view that the ventrolateral ATL contributes to social cognition via a domain-general role in semantic processing and against claims of a specialised social function.
5 citations
TL;DR: The authors found an on-average female advantage across 57 countries in reading the mind in the eyes test (Eyes Test) and cross-sectional analyses also showed subtle age differences in Eyes Test scores across the lifespan.
Abstract: Significance In the largest study to date (as far as we know) on the “Reading the Mind in the Eyes” Test (Eyes Test)—a performance task of “theory of mind”—we leveraged four unique datasets (total N = 312,739), using the English version of the Eyes Test. We found an on-average female advantage across 57 countries. In line with this is a systematic review of translated (non-English) versions of the Eyes Test identifying an on-average female advantage in eight out of eight different languages. Cross-sectional analyses also showed subtle age differences in Eyes Test scores across the lifespan. We conclude that there is an on-average female advantage across the majority of countries tested. Future research should investigate this in non-English speakers.
5 citations
TL;DR: It is shown that individuals functional connectivity profiles remain unique even when cognitive impairment occurs, and the patterns of functional connectivity that make the healthy subjects more identifiable change during cognitive decline, suggesting that the brain undergoes functional reconfiguration.
Abstract: In analogy to the friction ridges of a human finger, the functional connectivity patterns of the human brain can be used to identify a given individual from a population. In other words, functional connectivity patterns constitute a marker of human identity, or a ‘brain fingerprint’. Notably, very little is known about whether brain fingerprints are preserved in brain ageing and in the presence of cognitive decline. Using fMRI data of 96 memory clinic subjects, here we show that individuals functional connectivity profiles remain unique even when cognitive impairment occurs. Yet, the patterns of functional connectivity that make the healthy subjects more identifiable change during cognitive decline, suggesting that the brain undergoes functional reconfiguration. Notably, the functional connections that were the most reliable in healthy cohorts disappeared during cognitive decline, leaving room for other stable connections, adapting to the process of neurodegeneration. We believe that these findings could help in moving towards a more personalised medicine and treatment during cognitive decline, and we hope they will set the ground for clinical fingerprinting of brain disease.
4 citations
26 Dec 2022
TL;DR: In this article , the authors focus on the specific proposal that social significance is a key feature in the representation of some concepts and provide a backdrop of contemporary theories regarding semantic representation and social cognition and highlight important predictions for both brain and behaviour.
Abstract: concepts, like justice and friendship, are central features of our daily lives. Traditionally, abstract concepts are distinguished from other concepts in that they cannot be directly experienced through the senses. As such, they pose a challenge for strongly embodied models of semantic representation that assume a central role for sensorimotor information. There is growing recognition, however, that it is possible for meaning to be 'grounded' via cognitive systems, including those involved in processing language and emotion. In this article, we focus on the specific proposal that social significance is a key feature in the representation of some concepts. We begin by reviewing recent evidence in favour of this proposal from the fields of psycholinguistics and neuroimaging. We then discuss the limited extent to which there is consensus about the definition of 'socialness' and propose essential next steps for research in this domain. Taking one such step, we describe preliminary data from an unprecedented large-scale rating study that can help determine how socialness is distinct from other facets of word meaning. We provide a backdrop of contemporary theories regarding semantic representation and social cognition and highlight important predictions for both brain and behaviour. This article is part of the theme issue 'Concepts in interaction: social engagement and inner experiences'.
3 citations
References
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TL;DR: Past observations are synthesized to provide strong evidence that the default network is a specific, anatomically defined brain system preferentially active when individuals are not focused on the external environment, and for understanding mental disorders including autism, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's disease.
Abstract: Thirty years of brain imaging research has converged to define the brain’s default network—a novel and only recently appreciated brain system that participates in internal modes of cognition Here we synthesize past observations to provide strong evidence that the default network is a specific, anatomically defined brain system preferentially active when individuals are not focused on the external environment Analysis of connectional anatomy in the monkey supports the presence of an interconnected brain system Providing insight into function, the default network is active when individuals are engaged in internally focused tasks including autobiographical memory retrieval, envisioning the future, and conceiving the perspectives of others Probing the functional anatomy of the network in detail reveals that it is best understood as multiple interacting subsystems The medial temporal lobe subsystem provides information from prior experiences in the form of memories and associations that are the building blocks of mental simulation The medial prefrontal subsystem facilitates the flexible use of this information during the construction of self-relevant mental simulations These two subsystems converge on important nodes of integration including the posterior cingulate cortex The implications of these functional and anatomical observations are discussed in relation to possible adaptive roles of the default network for using past experiences to plan for the future, navigate social interactions, and maximize the utility of moments when we are not otherwise engaged by the external world We conclude by discussing the relevance of the default network for understanding mental disorders including autism, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s disease
8,448 citations
Additional excerpts
...(Buckner et al., 2008; Spreng and Andrews-Hanna, 2015)....
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TL;DR: Tested the 2-process theory of detection, search, and attention presented by the current authors (1977) in a series of experiments and demonstrated the qualitative difference between 2 modes of information processing: automatic detection and controlled search.
Abstract: Tested the 2-process theory of detection, search, and attention presented by the current authors (1977) in a series of experiments. The studies (a) demonstrate the qualitative difference between 2 modes of information processing: automatic detection and controlled search; (b) trace the course of the
7,032 citations
"Establishing a role of the semantic..." refers background in this paper
..., 2014); automatic processes are described 165 as unintentional, effortless, and fast, whereas controlled processes are deliberate, effortful, 166 and thus slower (Lieberman, 2007; Shiffrin and Schneider, 1977)....
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TL;DR: It is shown that the average statistical power of studies in the neurosciences is very low, and the consequences include overestimates of effect size and low reproducibility of results.
Abstract: A study with low statistical power has a reduced chance of detecting a true effect, but it is less well appreciated that low power also reduces the likelihood that a statistically significant result reflects a true effect. Here, we show that the average statistical power of studies in the neurosciences is very low. The consequences of this include overestimates of effect size and low reproducibility of results. There are also ethical dimensions to this problem, as unreliable research is inefficient and wasteful. Improving reproducibility in neuroscience is a key priority and requires attention to well-established but often ignored methodological principles.
5,683 citations
"Establishing a role of the semantic..." refers background in this paper
..., 2012), which are frequently statistically underpowered 122 (Button et al., 2013) and vulnerable to effects of idiosyncratic design and analytic choices 123...
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors analyzed 120 functional neuroimaging studies focusing on semantic processing and identified reliable areas of activation in these studies using the activation likelihood estimate (ALE) technique, which formed a distinct, left-lateralized network comprised of 7 regions: posterior inferior parietal lobe, middle temporal gyrus, fusiform and parahippocampal gyri, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, inferior frontal gyrus and posterior cingulate gyrus.
Abstract: Semantic memory refers to knowledge about people, objects, actions, relations, self, and culture acquired through experience. The neural systems that store and retrieve this information have been studied for many years, but a consensus regarding their identity has not been reached. Using strict inclusion criteria, we analyzed 120 functional neuroimaging studies focusing on semantic processing. Reliable areas of activation in these studies were identified using the activation likelihood estimate (ALE) technique. These activations formed a distinct, left-lateralized network comprised of 7 regions: posterior inferior parietal lobe, middle temporal gyrus, fusiform and parahippocampal gyri, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and posterior cingulate gyrus. Secondary analyses showed specific subregions of this network associated with knowledge of actions, manipulable artifacts, abstract concepts, and concrete concepts. The cortical regions involved in semantic processing can be grouped into 3 broad categories: posterior multimodal and heteromodal association cortex, heteromodal prefrontal cortex, and medial limbic regions. The expansion of these regions in the human relative to the nonhuman primate brain may explain uniquely human capacities to use language productively, plan, solve problems, and create cultural and technological artifacts, all of which depend on the fluid and efficient retrieval and manipulation of semantic knowledge.
3,283 citations
TL;DR: The framework presented in the original article has helped to integrate behavioral, systems, cellular, and molecular approaches to common problems in attention research and has led to increased understanding of aspects of pathology and to some new interventions.
Abstract: Here, we update our 1990 Annual Review of Neuroscience article, “The Attention System of the Human Brain.” The framework presented in the original article has helped to integrate behavioral, systems, cellular, and molecular approaches to common problems in attention research. Our framework has been both elaborated and expanded in subsequent years. Research on orienting and executive functions has supported the addition of new networks of brain regions. Developmental studies have shown important changes in control systems between infancy and childhood. In some cases, evidence has supported the role of specific genetic variations, often in conjunction with experience, that account for some of the individual differences in the efficiency of attentional networks. The findings have led to increased understanding of aspects of pathology and to some new interventions.
2,385 citations