Contributions of episodic retrieval and mentalizing to autobiographical thought: Evidence from functional neuroimaging, resting-state connectivity, and fMRI meta-analyses

Abstract

A growing number of studies suggest the brain’s “default network” becomes engaged when individuals recall their personal past or simulate their future. Recent reports of heterogeneity within the network raises the possibility that these autobiographical processes are comprised of multiple component processes, each supported by distinct functional-anatomic subsystems. We previously hypothesized that a medial temporal subsystem contributes to autobiographical memory and future thought by enabling individuals to retrieve prior information and bind this information into a mental scene. Conversely, a dorsal medial subsystem was proposed to support social-reflective aspects of autobiographical thought, allowing individuals to reflect on the mental states of one’s self and others (i.e. “mentalizing”). To test these hypotheses, we first examined activity in the default network subsystems as participants performed two commonly employed tasks of episodic retrieval and mentalizing. In a subset of participants, relationships among task-evoked regions were examined at rest, in the absence of an overt task. Finally, large-scale fMRI meta-analyses were conducted to identify brain regions that most strongly predicted the presence of episodic retrieval and mentalizing, and these results were compared to meta-analyses of autobiographical tasks. Across studies, laboratory-based episodic retrieval tasks were preferentially linked to the medial temporal subsystem, while mentalizing tasks were preferentially linked to the dorsal medial subsystem. In turn, autobiographical tasks engaged aspects of both subsystems. These results suggest the default network is a heterogeneous brain system whose subsystems support distinct component processes of autobiographical thought.

Distributed Patterns of Reactivation Predict Vividness of Recollection

“…Thus, activation increased in the angular gyrus when mental replay was poor. This interpretation is consistent with evidence that DMN becomes engaged during mindwandering (Christoff et al, 2009): During trials with low vividness ratings, participants may have engaged in naturalistic mind-wandering, which may have engaged DMN regions to a greater extent than our mental replay task (Andrews-Hanna, Saxe, & Yarkoni, 2014;Spreng, 2012;Spreng & Grady, 2010;Christoff et al, 2009;Spreng et al, 2009;Buckner & Carroll, 2007). Because of the peculiarities of our task, an entirely different activation profile emerges that supports vivid mental replay and reactivation, providing interesting insight into the neural mechanisms of recollection.…”

The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex is selective for pain: Results from large-scale reverse inference

“…A number of papers have now used Neurosynth and related tools to conduct reverse inference analyses that were largely impossible a decade ago (16)(17)(18)(19)(20). Here, we use Neurosynth to investigate the psychological processes specific to the dACC by (i) examining the specific location in the brain most associated with the term "dACC," (ii) conducting forward inference analyses to replicate prior findings that many different psychological processes activate the dACC, and (iii) conducting reverse inference analyses to identify the psychological processes specific to dACC activation.…”

The Social (Neural) Network: Towards a Unifying Endophenotype Between Genes and Behavior

“…The dDMN largely corresponds to what others have termed the dorsal medial subsystem-these regions, primarily spanning the posterior cingulate and medial PFC, are frequently associated with empathetic processes such as mentalizing and perspective-taking 205,206 . Accordingly, connectivity across these regions is compromised in ASD 207,208 .…”

“…Accordingly, connectivity across these regions is compromised in ASD 207,208 . The vDMN is relatively intact, by contrast-it comprises a medial temporal subsystem that is primarily associated with mental time-travel and other autobiographical memory-related functions 205,206 .…”

“…inferring goal states or the beliefs of others) and social abstraction, including the retrieval of social knowledge (e.g. norms of behavior) 205,206 . Nodes of the aSN, by contrast, are often linked to attentional and emotional processes 105,106,209,210 .…”