Overlapping Functional Representations of Self- and Other-Related Thought are Separable Through Multivoxel Pattern...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Social Cognition

Background:

• Self-reflection and understanding others are crucial for social functioning.
• These processes share overlapping neural mechanisms, particularly in the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC).
• Previous models lacked detailed exploration of distinct neural representations for self- and other-related thought.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the separability of self- and other-related thought representations within the MPFC and the broader brain.
• To investigate the distinct neural substrates supporting self- and other-related cognition.
• To test functional models of self- and other-processing in the human brain.

Main Methods:

• Utilized multivoxel pattern classification (MVPC) analysis.
• Employed a large-scale mega-analytic dataset from three independent studies (n=142).
• Examined neural representations across the entire brain, with a focus on the MPFC.

Main Results:

• Self- and other-related thought were reliably distinguishable above chance within the MPFC, posterior cingulate cortex, and temporal lobes.
• Specific subregions of the ventral MPFC were identified as critical for self-related thought.
• Subregions of the orbitofrontal cortex showed robust involvement in other-related thought.

Conclusions:

• Neural representations of self- and other-related thought are best described by a distributed pattern across the brain.
• Findings challenge stark localizationist views and purely linear gradients within the MPFC.
• The study provides a more nuanced understanding of the neural architecture supporting social cognition.