Atypical frontal-posterior synchronization of Theory of Mind regions in autism during mental state attribution

Rajesh K Kana,Timothy A Keller,Vladimir L Cherkassky,Nancy J Minshew,Marcel Adam Just

doi:10.1080/17470910802198510

Abstract

This study used fMRI to investigate the functioning of the Theory of Mind (ToM) cortical network in autism during the viewing of animations that in some conditions entailed the attribution of a mental state to animated geometric figures. At the cortical level, mentalizing (attribution of metal states) is underpinned by the coordination and integration of the components of the ToM network, which include the medial frontal gyrus, the anterior paracingulate, and the right temporoparietal junction. The pivotal new finding was a functional underconnectivity (a lower degree of synchronization) in autism, especially in the connections between frontal and posterior areas during the attribution of mental states. In addition, the frontal ToM regions activated less in participants with autism relative to control participants. In the autism group, an independent psychometric assessment of ToM ability and the activation in the right temporoparietal junction were reliably correlated. The results together provide new evidence for the biological basis of atypical processing of ToM in autism, implicating the underconnectivity between frontal regions and more posterior areas.

Highlights

This study used fMRI to investigate the functioning of the Theory of Mind (ToM) cortical network in autism during the viewing of animations that in some conditions entailed the attribution of a mental state to animated geometric figures
Some researchers argue that while the medial frontal cortex is directly involved in mental state reasoning and decisions, the right temporoparietal junction collates the cues that are the input to mentalizing (Gallagher &Frith, 2003)
As described in more detail below, the findings are consistent with disrupted ToM processing in autism being underpinned by frontal-posterior functional underconnectivity

Summary

Introduction

This study used fMRI to investigate the functioning of the Theory of Mind (ToM) cortical network in autism during the viewing of animations that in some conditions entailed the attribution of a mental state to animated geometric figures. At the cortical level, mentalizing (attribution of metal states) is underpinned by the coordination and integration of the components of the ToM network, which include the medial frontal gyrus, the anterior paracingulate, and the right temporoparietal junction. The pivotal new finding was a functional underconnectivity (a lower degree of synchronization) in autism, especially in the connections between frontal and posterior areas during the attribution of mental states. Damage to the anterior prefrontal regions has been associated with impaired self-awareness for the appropriateness of social interactions, judgment and planning difficulties (Stuss, 1991), as well as impaired awareness of the mental states of others (Stone et al, 1998; Stuss et al, 2001)

Methods

Results

Conclusion