Open AccessAre there theory of mind regions in the brain? A review of the neuroimaging literature
Author(s) -
Carrington Sarah J.,
Bailey Anthony J.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
human brain mapping
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.005
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1097-0193
pISSN - 1065-9471
DOI - 10.1002/hbm.20671
Subject(s) - theory of mind , psychology , orbitofrontal cortex , neuroimaging , neuroscience , cognitive psychology , mentalization , superior temporal sulcus , functional neuroimaging , functional imaging , prefrontal cortex , variation (astronomy) , functional magnetic resonance imaging , cognition , physics , astrophysics
There have been many functional imaging studies of the brain basis of theory of mind (ToM) skills, but the findings are heterogeneous and implicate anatomical regions as far apart as orbitofrontal cortex and the inferior parietal lobe. The functional imaging studies are reviewed to determine whether the diverse findings are due to methodological factors. The studies are considered according to the paradigm employed (e.g., stories vs. cartoons and explicit vs. implicit ToM instructions), the mental state(s) investigated, and the language demands of the tasks. Methodological variability does not seem to account for the variation in findings, although this conclusion may partly reflect the relatively small number of studies. Alternatively, several distinct brain regions may be activated during ToM reasoning, forming an integrated functional “network.” The imaging findings suggest that there are several “core” regions in the network—including parts of the prefrontal cortex and superior temporal sulcus—while several more “peripheral” regions may contribute to ToM reasoning in a manner contingent on relatively minor aspects of the ToM task. Hum Brain Mapp, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.