Human brain network for reading the mind from the eyes: beyond activated and deactivated regions

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Social Neuroscience

Background:

• Theory of Mind (ToM) network's BOLD signal changes often show reduced deactivation, with below-baseline effects largely unaddressed.
• Understanding these sub-baseline responses is crucial for comprehending social cognition and mentalizing processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate task-modulated functional connectivity (TMFC) within the ToM network during the Reading the Mind in the Eyes (RME) task.
• To explore the functional engagement of brain regions exhibiting below-baseline BOLD responses during social cognition.

Main Methods:

• Utilized fMRI data from an extended version of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test.
• Analyzed task-modulated functional connectivity (TMFC) in specific ToM network regions, including TPJ-pSTS, angular gyrus (AG), and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG).

Main Results:

• TPJ-pSTS and AG demonstrated TMFC patterns similar to above-baseline ToM areas, despite below-baseline BOLD responses during the RME task.
• The RME task network involved affective mentalizing regions and face-processing areas, showing reduced TMFC with cognitive mentalizing regions.
• Regions with greater BOLD responses, even if below baseline, were confirmed as functionally engaged.

Conclusions:

• The Reading the Mind in the Eyes (RME) task engages brain regions with below-baseline BOLD signals, indicating functional activity.
• A dynamic interaction exists between affective and cognitive subcomponents of the ToM network during the RME task.
• Functional segregation between affective and cognitive mentalizing subcomponents was observed.