title: The neural network for the mirror system and mentalizing in normally developed children: an fMRI study.
abstract: We performed fMRI measurements in normal children to clarify which cortical areas are commonly involved in the mirror system (MS) and mentalizing, which areas are specific for mentalizing, and whether children have the same neural networks for MS and mentalizing as adults. Normal children had the same neural networks for the MS and mentalizing as adults. Common activations were found in the superior temporal sulcus and the fusiform gyri, whereas mentalizing specific activation was found in the medial prefrontal, temporal pole and the inferior parietal cortices. We suggest that mentalizing might evolve from a capacity to detect the motion of agents and to infer intentions. Further, mentalizing might require self-perspectives.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, National Center Hospital of Mental, Nervous and Muscular Disorders, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawa Higashi, Kodaira City, Tokyo 187-8551, Japan. tohnishi@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohnishi
authors.forename: Yoshiya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Moriguchi
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.forename: Takeyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Makiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirakata
authors.forename: Etsuko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Imabayashi
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirao
authors.forename: Kiyotaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nemoto
authors.forename: Makiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaga
authors.forename: Masumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inagaki
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uno
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination / Q000502:physiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000502:physiology; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000502:physiology; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D012919:Social Behavior