Abstract
Self-referential processing is a complex cognitive function, involving a set of implicit and explicit processes, complicating investigation of its distinct neural signature. The present study explores the functional overlap and dissociability of self-referential and social stimulus processing. We combined an established paradigm for explicit self-referential processing with an implicit social stimulus processing paradigm in one fMRI experiment to determine the neural effects of self-relatedness and social processing within one study. Overlapping activations were found in the orbitofrontal cortex and in the intermediate part of the precuneus. Stimuli judged as self-referential specifically activated the posterior cingulate cortex, the ventral medial prefrontal cortex, extending into anterior cingulate cortex and orbitofrontal cortex, the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex, the ventral and dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, the left inferior temporal gyrus, and occipital cortex. Social processing specifically involved the posterior precuneus and bilateral temporo-parietal junction. Taken together, our data show, not only, first, common networks for both processes in the medial prefrontal and the medial parietal cortex, but also, second, functional differentiations for self-referential processing versus social processing: an anterior–posterior gradient for social processing and self-referential processing within the medial parietal cortex and specific activations for self-referential processing in the medial and lateral prefrontal cortex and for social processing in the temporo-parietal junction.
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Dorrit Herold: Research Grants: “Elsa-Neumann”-scholarship by the state Berlin. Stephanie Spengler: no conflict of interest to declare. Bastian Sajonz: no conflict of interest to declare. Tatiana Usnich: no conflict of interest to declare. Felix Bermpohl: Research grants: research grant by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF01KR1207C, 01EE1404G), research grant by the German Research Foundation (DFG BE2611/2-1). Financial support: financial support for attending symposia by Eli Lilly Company.
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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Herold, D., Spengler, S., Sajonz, B. et al. Common and distinct networks for self-referential and social stimulus processing in the human brain. Brain Struct Funct 221, 3475–3485 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-015-1113-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-015-1113-9