Investigation of the neural correlates of mentalizing through the Dynamic Inference Task, a new naturalistic task of social cognition

Understanding others’ intentions requires both the identification of social cues (e.g., emotional facial expressions, gaze direction) and the attribution of a mental state to another. The neural substrates of these processes have often been studied separately, and results are heterogeneous, in part...

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Main Authors: Audrey Henry, Delphine Raucher-Chéné, Alexandre Obert, Pamela Gobin, Ksenija Vucurovic, Sarah Barrière, Séverine Sacré, Christophe Portefaix, Fabien Gierski, Stéphanie Caillies, Arthur Kaladjian
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2021-11-01
Series:NeuroImage
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811921007722
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author Audrey Henry
Delphine Raucher-Chéné
Alexandre Obert
Pamela Gobin
Ksenija Vucurovic
Sarah Barrière
Séverine Sacré
Christophe Portefaix
Fabien Gierski
Stéphanie Caillies
Arthur Kaladjian
author_facet Audrey Henry
Delphine Raucher-Chéné
Alexandre Obert
Pamela Gobin
Ksenija Vucurovic
Sarah Barrière
Séverine Sacré
Christophe Portefaix
Fabien Gierski
Stéphanie Caillies
Arthur Kaladjian
author_sort Audrey Henry
collection DOAJ
description Understanding others’ intentions requires both the identification of social cues (e.g., emotional facial expressions, gaze direction) and the attribution of a mental state to another. The neural substrates of these processes have often been studied separately, and results are heterogeneous, in part attributable to the variety of paradigms used. The aim of the present study was to explore the neural regions underlying these sociocognitive processes, using a novel naturalistic task in which participants engage with human protagonists featured in videos.A total of 51 right-handed volunteers underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing the Dynamic Inference Task (DIT), manipulating the degree of inference (high vs. low), the presence of emotion (emotional vs. nonemotional), and gaze direction (direct vs. averted).High nonemotional inference elicited neural activation in temporal regions encompassing the right posterior superior temporal sulcus. The presence (vs. absence) of emotion in the high-inference condition elicited a bilateral pattern of activation in internal temporal areas around the amygdala and orbitofrontal structures, as well as activation in the right dorsomedial part of the superior frontal gyrus and the left precuneus.On account of its dynamic, naturalistic approach, the DIT seems a suitable task for exploring social interactions and the way we interact with others, both in nonclinical and clinical populations.
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spelling doaj.art-07d9fe12b0cd4d3fa559baba3a3d925f2022-12-21T18:34:13ZengElsevierNeuroImage1095-95722021-11-01243118499Investigation of the neural correlates of mentalizing through the Dynamic Inference Task, a new naturalistic task of social cognitionAudrey Henry0Delphine Raucher-Chéné1Alexandre Obert2Pamela Gobin3Ksenija Vucurovic4Sarah Barrière5Séverine Sacré6Christophe Portefaix7Fabien Gierski8Stéphanie Caillies9Arthur Kaladjian10Université de Reims Champagne Ardenne, Laboratoire Cognition, Santé et Société, B.P. 30, 57 Rue Pierre Taittinger, Reims Cedex 51571, France; Pôle Universitaire de Psychiatrie, EPSM et CHU de Reims, 8 Rue Roger Aubry, Reims 51100, France; Corresponding author.Université de Reims Champagne Ardenne, Laboratoire Cognition, Santé et Société, B.P. 30, 57 Rue Pierre Taittinger, Reims Cedex 51571, France; Pôle Universitaire de Psychiatrie, EPSM et CHU de Reims, 8 Rue Roger Aubry, Reims 51100, France; Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, 6875 Boulevard LaSalle, Montreal, CanadaCognition Sciences, Technology & Ergonomics Laboratory, Champollion National University Institute, University of Toulouse, Place de Verdun, Albi 81000, FranceUniversité de Reims Champagne Ardenne, Laboratoire Cognition, Santé et Société, B.P. 30, 57 Rue Pierre Taittinger, Reims Cedex 51571, France; Pôle Universitaire de Psychiatrie, EPSM et CHU de Reims, 8 Rue Roger Aubry, Reims 51100, FranceUniversité de Reims Champagne Ardenne, Laboratoire Cognition, Santé et Société, B.P. 30, 57 Rue Pierre Taittinger, Reims Cedex 51571, France; Centre Rémois de Psychothérapie et Neuromodulation, 15 rue Baillia Rolland, Reims 51100, FrancePôle Universitaire de Psychiatrie, EPSM et CHU de Reims, 8 Rue Roger Aubry, Reims 51100, FranceUniversité de Reims Champagne Ardenne, Laboratoire Cognition, Santé et Société, B.P. 30, 57 Rue Pierre Taittinger, Reims Cedex 51571, FranceRadiology Department, Maison Blanche Hospital, Reims University Hospital, 45 rue Cognacq-Jay, Reims 51092, France; Université de Reims Champagne Ardenne, Laboratoire CReSTIC, Campus Moulin de la Housse, Chemin des Rouliers, Reims 51680, FranceUniversité de Reims Champagne Ardenne, Laboratoire Cognition, Santé et Société, B.P. 30, 57 Rue Pierre Taittinger, Reims Cedex 51571, France; Pôle Universitaire de Psychiatrie, EPSM et CHU de Reims, 8 Rue Roger Aubry, Reims 51100, France; INSERM U1247 GRAP, Research Group on Alcohol and Drugs, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Avenue Laennec, Amiens 80054, FranceUniversité de Reims Champagne Ardenne, Laboratoire Cognition, Santé et Société, B.P. 30, 57 Rue Pierre Taittinger, Reims Cedex 51571, FranceUniversité de Reims Champagne Ardenne, Laboratoire Cognition, Santé et Société, B.P. 30, 57 Rue Pierre Taittinger, Reims Cedex 51571, France; Pôle Universitaire de Psychiatrie, EPSM et CHU de Reims, 8 Rue Roger Aubry, Reims 51100, France; Faculty of Medicine, University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, 51 rue Cognacq-Jay, Reims 51100, FranceUnderstanding others’ intentions requires both the identification of social cues (e.g., emotional facial expressions, gaze direction) and the attribution of a mental state to another. The neural substrates of these processes have often been studied separately, and results are heterogeneous, in part attributable to the variety of paradigms used. The aim of the present study was to explore the neural regions underlying these sociocognitive processes, using a novel naturalistic task in which participants engage with human protagonists featured in videos.A total of 51 right-handed volunteers underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing the Dynamic Inference Task (DIT), manipulating the degree of inference (high vs. low), the presence of emotion (emotional vs. nonemotional), and gaze direction (direct vs. averted).High nonemotional inference elicited neural activation in temporal regions encompassing the right posterior superior temporal sulcus. The presence (vs. absence) of emotion in the high-inference condition elicited a bilateral pattern of activation in internal temporal areas around the amygdala and orbitofrontal structures, as well as activation in the right dorsomedial part of the superior frontal gyrus and the left precuneus.On account of its dynamic, naturalistic approach, the DIT seems a suitable task for exploring social interactions and the way we interact with others, both in nonclinical and clinical populations.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811921007722MentalizingDynamicFunctional MRITheory of mindEmotion processingGaze direction
spellingShingle Audrey Henry
Delphine Raucher-Chéné
Alexandre Obert
Pamela Gobin
Ksenija Vucurovic
Sarah Barrière
Séverine Sacré
Christophe Portefaix
Fabien Gierski
Stéphanie Caillies
Arthur Kaladjian
Investigation of the neural correlates of mentalizing through the Dynamic Inference Task, a new naturalistic task of social cognition
NeuroImage
Mentalizing
Dynamic
Functional MRI
Theory of mind
Emotion processing
Gaze direction
title Investigation of the neural correlates of mentalizing through the Dynamic Inference Task, a new naturalistic task of social cognition
title_full Investigation of the neural correlates of mentalizing through the Dynamic Inference Task, a new naturalistic task of social cognition
title_fullStr Investigation of the neural correlates of mentalizing through the Dynamic Inference Task, a new naturalistic task of social cognition
title_full_unstemmed Investigation of the neural correlates of mentalizing through the Dynamic Inference Task, a new naturalistic task of social cognition
title_short Investigation of the neural correlates of mentalizing through the Dynamic Inference Task, a new naturalistic task of social cognition
title_sort investigation of the neural correlates of mentalizing through the dynamic inference task a new naturalistic task of social cognition
topic Mentalizing
Dynamic
Functional MRI
Theory of mind
Emotion processing
Gaze direction
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811921007722
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