Changes of brain activity in the neural substrates for theory of mind during childhood and adolescence
Changes of brain activity in the neural substrates for theory of mind during childhood and adolescence
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DOI：
10.1111/j.1440-1819.2007.01687.x
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发表时间：
2007-08-01
影响因子：
11.9
通讯作者：
Komaki, Gen
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Moriguchi, Yoshiya;Ohnishi, Takashi;Komaki, Gen
心理理论（Theory of Mind，ToM）是指将独立的心理状态，如信念，偏好和欲望，归因于自我和他人的能力。对正常成年人的神经影像学研究一致表明，特定的大脑区域，上级颞沟（STS），颞极（TP）和内侧前额叶皮层（MPFC）的ToM的重要性。然而，很少有数据表明心理理论在儿童和青少年时期是如何发展的。这些数据对于理解社会功能及其障碍的发展非常重要。作者使用功能性磁共振成像来研究儿童和青少年早期（9-16岁）与ToM相关的大脑活动的年龄相关变化。正常发育的儿童和青少年表现出显着的激活，在双边STS，邻近杏仁核的TP（TP/Amy）和MPFC。此外，作者发现年龄与MPFC背侧部分的激活程度呈正相关;相反，MPFC腹侧部分呈负相关。作者还发现MPFC中峰值激活的Z坐标与年龄呈正相关。这些数据表明，在儿童后期和青春期，与ToM相关的MPFC的活动从腹侧转移到背侧。STS和TP/Amy区域没有发现与年龄相关的变化。作者认为，在本研究中观察到的与年龄相关的脑活动可能与前额叶皮层的成熟和认知功能的相关发展有关。
Theory of mind (ToM) refers to the ability to attribute independent mental states, such as beliefs, preferences and desires, to the self and others. Neuroimaging studies of normal adults have consistently demonstrated the importance of particular brain regions for ToM, the superior temporal sulcus (STS), temporal pole (TP) and the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC). However, there are little data showing how ToM develops during childhood and adolescence. Such data are important for understanding the development of social functioning and its disorders. The authors used functional magnetic resonance imaging to study age-related changes in brain activity associated with ToM during childhood and early adolescence (9-16 years). Normally developed children and adolescents demonstrated significant activation in the bilateral STS, the TP adjacent to the amygdala (TP/Amy) and the MPFC. Furthermore, the authors found a positive correlation between age and the degree of activation in the dorsal part of the MPFC; in contrast, a negative correlation was found for the ventral part of the MPFC. The authors also found a positive correlation between the Z coordinate of the peak activation in the MPFC and age. The data indicated that activity in the MPFC associated with ToM shifted from the ventral to the dorsal part of the MPFC during late childhood and adolescence. No age-related changes were found in the STS and the TP/Amy regions. The authors consider that the age-related brain activity observed in the present study may be associated with the maturation of the prefrontal cortex and the associated development of cognitive functions.