Comparing the neural correlates of affective and cognitive theory of mind using fMRI: Involvement of the basal ganglia in affective theory of mind

Theory of Mind (ToM) is the ability to infer other people’s mental states likeintentions or desires. ToM can be differentiated into affective (i.e.,recognizing the feelings of another person) and cognitive (i.e., inferring themental state of the counterpart) subcomponents. Recently, subcortical structuressuch as the basal ganglia (BG) have also been ascribed to the multifacetedconcept ToM and most BG disorders have been reported to elicit ToM deficits. Inorder to assess both the correlates of affective and cognitive ToM as well asinvolvement of the basal ganglia, 30 healthy participants underwentevent-related fMRI scanning, neuropsychological testing, and filled inquestionnaires concerning different aspects of ToM and empathy. Directlycontrasting affective (aff) as well as cognitive (cog) ToM to the control (phy)condition, activation was found in classical ToM regions, namely parts of thetemporal lobe including the superior temporal sulcus, the supplementary motorarea, and parietal structures in the right hemisphere. The contrast aff > phyyielded additional activation in the orbitofrontal cortex on the right and thecingulate cortex, the precentral and inferior frontal gyrus and the cerebellumon the left. The right BG were recruited in this contrast as well. The directcontrast aff > cog showed activation in the temporoparietal junction and thecingulate cortex on the right as well as in the left supplementary motor area.The reverse contrast cog > aff however did not yield any significant clusters.In summary, affective and cognitive ToM partly share neural correlates but canalso be differentiated anatomically. Furthermore, the BG are involved inaffective ToM and thus their contribution is discussed as possibly providing amotor component of simulation processes, particularly in affective ToM.