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The preterm social brain: altered functional networks for Theory of Mind in very preterm children
Sarah I Mossad1, Marlee M Vandewouw2,3, Mary Lou Smith1,4
1Department of Psychology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada.
Insights
Very preterm born children show differences in brain connectivity impacting their social cognition and Theory of Mind abilities. This study used advanced neuroimaging to reveal these neural underpinnings.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Neurodevelopmental difficulties are common in very preterm born children (<32-week gestation).
- Social-cognitive development, particularly Theory of Mind, is not well understood in this population.
- Theory of Mind (attributing mental states to others) is crucial for social interaction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural underpinnings of Theory of Mind in very preterm born children.
- To compare social-cognitive brain function between very preterm and full-term born children.
Main Methods:
- Utilized functional MRI and magnetoencephalography (MEG) in 83 children (40 very preterm, 43 full-term).
- Examined brain activity and connectivity during Theory of Mind tasks.
- Analyzed distinct neural networks including theta, alpha, and beta bands.
Main Results:
- Both groups activated classic Theory of Mind brain regions similarly on fMRI.
- MEG revealed reduced Theory of Mind connectivity in very preterm children within social brain networks.
- Very preterm children showed atypical connectivity in occipital regions and made more attribution errors.
Conclusions:
- Multimodal neuroimaging highlights specific network differences in social cognition for very preterm children.
- Findings underscore the importance of advanced neuroimaging for understanding the social brain in clinical populations.
- Very preterm birth impacts the neural basis of Theory of Mind, affecting social understanding.
Abstract:
Neurodevelopmental difficulties emerge in very preterm born children (<32-week gestation) in infancy and continue to early adulthood but little is known about their social-cognitive development. This study utilized the complementary methodological advantages of both functional MRI and magnetoencephalography to examine the neural underpinnings of Theory of Mind in very preterm birth. Theory of Mind, one of the core social-cognitive skills, is the ability to attribute mental states to others, and is crucial for predicting others' behaviours in social interactions. Eighty-three children (40 very preterm born, 24 boys, age = 8.7 ± 0.5 years, and 43 full-term born, 22 boys, age = 8.6 ± 0.5 years) completed the study. In functional MRI, both groups recruited classic Theory of Mind areas, without significant group differences. However, reduced Theory of Mind connectivity in the very preterm born group was found in magnetoencephalography in distinct theta, alpha and beta-band networks anchored in a set of brain regions that comprise the social brain. These networks included regions such as the angular gyrus, the medial pre-frontal cortex, the superior temporal gyrus and the temporal poles. Very preterm born children showed increased connectivity compared to controls in a network anchored in the occipital gyri rather than classical social-processing regions. Very preterm born children made significantly more attribution errors and mis-construed the social scenarios. Findings offer novel insight into the neural networks, supporting social cognition in very preterm born children and highlight the importance of multimodal neuroimaging to interrogate the social brain in clinical populations.
