Social prediction modulates activity of macaque superior temporal cortex

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Evolutionary Psychology
• Primatology

Background:

• Theory of Mind (TOM) is the ability to attribute mental states to others, crucial for human social cognition.
• While extensively studied in humans, the evolutionary origins and neural underpinnings of TOM remain debated.
• Previous computational models link TOM to predictive coding and temporoparietal junction (TPJ) activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the neural basis and evolutionary precursors of Theory of Mind (TOM) in non-human primates.
• To identify brain regions in macaques that show activity related to the predictability of social situations, analogous to human TPJ function.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a nonlinguistic task to assess social cognition in macaques.
• Employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain activity during the task.
• Differentiated activity in the macaque middle superior temporal cortex from regions involved in face processing.

Main Results:

• Identified a specific region in the macaque middle superior temporal cortex whose activity correlated with the predictability of social scenarios.
• This region's activity pattern was distinct from areas primarily involved in visual face processing.
• The findings suggest a functional parallel to the human temporoparietal junction (TPJ) in macaques.

Conclusions:

• The study provides evidence for a neural precursor to Theory of Mind (TOM) in Old World monkeys.
• This suggests that the foundations of understanding others' mental states may exist in the common ancestor of humans and Old World monkeys.
• The findings contribute to understanding the evolutionary trajectory of complex social cognition.