Imagining triadic interactions simultaneously activates mirror and mentalizing systems.
Coordinated triadic interactions, involving oneself, another person, and an external object, are considered a uniquely human skill. However, the exact mechanisms underlying the ability to engage in such social interactions remain hitherto unknown. We used functional neuroimaging to investigate the neural signature of triadic interactions. For this purpose, participants viewed pictures of objects in a 3T functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner and were asked whether they could imagine this object in a social interaction with another person. We also aimed to dissociate this process from, as well as to find commonalities with, purely self-referential or other-referential processing. In all trial-types, we found activations in core mentalizing brain areas (medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus and temporoparietal junction). Furthermore, triadic engagements, but not self-referential or other-referential processing, were associated with activations in classical mirror neuron areas (inferior frontal gyrus and inferior parietal lobe). Finally, mentalizing networks showed a strong functional connectivity with mirror neuron areas exclusively during triadic engagements. These results suggest that the imagined interaction of two agents is processed in a more complex neural social cognitive network than purely self- or other-referential considerations.
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: kristin.trapp@charite.de.
Kristin
K
Trapp
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
Stephanie
S
Spengler
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
Torsten
T
Wüstenberg
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany; Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Luisenstraße 56, Haus 1, 10099 Berlin, Germany.
Corinde E
CE
Wiers
Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Luisenstraße 56, Haus 1, 10099 Berlin, Germany; Institute of Medical Psychology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Luisenstraße 57, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
Niko A
NA
Busch
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany; Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Luisenstraße 56, Haus 1, 10099 Berlin, Germany.
Felix
F
Bermpohl
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination / Q000502:physiology*; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D059167:Mirror Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology; D056345:Theory of Mind / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
Mentalizing system; Mirror neuron system; Social cognition; Triadic interactions; fMRI