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Updated: Mar 29, 2026

A Method for Investigating Age-related Differences in the Functional Connectivity of Cognitive Control Networks Associated with Dimensional Change Card Sort Performance

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Published on: May 7, 2014

Mind-Reading Ability and Structural Connectivity Changes in Aging.

Monia Cabinio¹, Federica Rossetto², Valeria Blasi¹

¹IRCCS Fondazione don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS Milan, Italy.

Frontiers in Psychology

|December 5, 2015

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Age-related brain changes, particularly in white matter connectivity, impact the ability to read minds through the eyes. This "mind-reading" skill, crucial for social cognition, shows a decline with aging, affecting specific brain regions.

Keywords:

aging neuroscience diffusion magnetic resonance imaging growth and development magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)mind-reading theory of mind (ToM)tract-based spatial statistics voxel-based morphometry (VBM)

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Psychology
Aging Research

Background:

Affective Theory of Mind (ToM) involves inferring mental states from eye gaze.
Understanding how aging affects this

Purpose of the Study:

Investigate the impact of age-associated structural brain changes on mind-reading ability.
Determine if this association is linked to executive functions in older adults.

Main Methods:

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to assess gray and white matter changes.
Correlation analysis between brain structure and performance on the "Reading the Mind in the Eyes" (RME) test.
Study included 36 healthy adults aged 24-79.

Main Results:

RME performance remained stable from ages 20-70, independent of executive functions.
Cortical ToM areas (precentral gyrus, insula, temporal and frontal gyri) were involved in RME, with age-related volume decrease.
Age and task-related decline in left fronto-temporal white matter connectivity was observed.

Conclusions:

Age-related structural brain modifications influence mind-reading ability.
Specific brain regions and white matter tracts are critical for this social cognition skill in aging.