Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 11, 2026

A Modified Mirror Test as a Visual Guide for the Self-awareness Trait in Wild Antarctica Penguins, Pygoscelis adeliae
Published on: July 8, 2025
Self-referential processing in our brain--a meta-analysis of imaging studies on the self
Georg Northoff1, Alexander Heinzel, Moritz de Greck
1Department of Neurology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. georg.northoff@medizin.uni-magdeburg.de
Neuroimaging reveals that the brain's cortical midline structures (CMS) are crucial for self-referential processing across various domains. An integrated cortical-subcortical system underlies the human self.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- The concept of self has long been debated in philosophy and psychology.
- Neuroscience has proposed distinct self-concepts, but their neural underpinnings are unclear.
- Understanding the neural basis of self-referential processing is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review neuroimaging studies on neural correlates of self-referential processing.
- To investigate the role of specific brain regions in self-related stimuli processing.
- To explore the relationship between different concepts of self in neuroscience.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of neuroimaging studies.
- Comparison of neural activation for self-referential versus non-self-referential stimuli.
- Cluster and factor analyses of activation patterns.
Main Results:
- Consistent activation in cortical midline structures (CMS) during self-related stimuli processing.
- CMS activation was observed across diverse functional domains (verbal, spatial, emotional, facial).
- Functional specialization within CMS (ventral, dorsal, posterior) was identified, independent of domain.
Conclusions:
- Self-referential processing is primarily mediated by cortical midline structures (CMS).
- An integrated cortical-subcortical midline system underlies the human self.
- CMS activity is central to self-experience and unifies diverse neuroscience concepts of self.
More Related Videos
09:00Investigating the Function of Deep Cortical and Subcortical Structures Using Stereotactic Electroencephalography: Lessons from the Anterior Cingulate Cortex
Published on: April 15, 2015
11:30Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Emotional Autobiographical Recollection
Published on: August 26, 2011
Related Concept Videos
Understanding the Self
Understanding Self-Concept
Self-Schemas
Parallel Processing
Self-Awareness and Its Effects
The Sense of Self: Reflected Self-Appraisal and Social Comparison