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Overlapping Neural Correlates Underpin Theory of Mind and Semantic Cognition: Evidence from a Meta-Analysis of 344 Functional Neuroimaging Studies
- Eva Balgova
- Veronica Diveica
- Rebecca L. Jackson
- Richard J. Binney
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Description: The present study asks whether social cognition is chiefly supported by brain regions specialised for that domain, or if it also involves more domain-general systems. In particular, we evaluate a recent proposal that the semantic cognition network plays a fundamental role in supporting social processes. We specifically focus on theory of mind (ToM) and adopt a meta-analytic activation likelihood estimation approach to synthesise the results of a large set of functional neuroimaging studies. Our primary aim was to establish the degree of topological overlap between the cortical networks involved in ToM and semantic tasks. Moreover, we sought to account for methodological confounds, including the fact that ToM studies tend to use nonverbal stimuli while the semantic literature is dominated by language-based tasks. We observed extensive overlap between the two networks in regions strongly implicated in semantic cognition, including the anterior temporal lobes and the left temporo-parietal junction (TPJ). Activation specific to ToM was identified in the right TPJ, bilateral anterior mPFC, and right precuneus. These findings persisted even after controlling for discrepancies in the types of experimental stimuli used in each domain. Overall, we interpret the findings as supportive of the claim that ToM draws upon cognitive processes related to semantic retrieval and against the view that ToM is underpinned solely by a set of domain-specific social neurocognitive systems.