Neurobiology Lecture 8: Biology of Sociality

A brain injury affecting opposite sides of the brain, often caused by a forceful impact.

The frontal part of the brain responsible for planning, decision-making, and social behavior.

Changes in social behavior, often seen as inappropriate or impulsive.

Early development stages where changes in the brain are more sensitive to environmental influences.

Changes in brain structure and function due to social experiences.

The ability of the brain to change its connections and pathways.

A neurotransmitter involved in reward and motivation.

A neurotransmitter associated with mood regulation.

A network of brain regions active during introspective thought, future planning, and social understanding.

The DMN helps us understand others' thoughts and feelings by predicting their actions and motivations.

The tendency to evaluate ourselves more positively than others, often leading to an inflated sense of self-worth.

A brain area associated with processing emotional responses and self-awareness.

The ACC is especially active when we think highly of ourselves, supporting the positive self-perception bias.

The ventral anterior cingulate cortex (vACC) is a region within the ACC that plays a role in focusing attention on positive information about ourselves.

Studies show that when people rate themselves highly on positive traits, their vACC activity is reduced, suggesting it's involved in actively focusing on positive self-information.

The vACC helps us maintain positive self-views by directing our attention to favorable information about ourselves.

The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is a part of the brain that is activated when we feel physical pain and also when we see our significant other in pain. This suggests that empathy involves similar neural processes as experiencing pain ourselves.

The insula is a brain region that is activated when we experience emotions, including empathy. When we see our loved one in pain, activity in the insula and ACC increases, highlighting the role of these regions in how we process the emotions of others.

The anterior insula and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) are responsible for encoding the feeling of unpleasantness. This is why we feel bad when others we care about are in pain. The ACC is involved in both physical pain and empathy, suggesting a shared neural basis for these experiences.

The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) is a part of the brain that is involved in goal-directed activity, self-reflection, and action monitoring. It shows activation during self-specific processing, reflecting its role in how we think about ourselves.

The right medial prefrontal cortex (rMPFC) is a region in the brain that is active during self-reflection, while the left medial prefrontal cortex (lMPFC) is involved in thinking about others. This suggests that the medial prefrontal cortex is crucial for understanding both ourselves and others.

Patients with OFC damage tend to overestimate their positive traits and fail to recognize when their behavior is socially inappropriate.

The ability to assess our own self-worth and understand how others perceive us is compromised.

A brain area essential for imagining future mental states, both our own and others' in different situations.

The vmPFC helps us understand how we might feel in different situations, allowing us to predict our future preferences and make informed decisions.

Damage to the vmPFC impairs our ability to predict our own likes and dislikes, making it challenging to make choices based on future preferences.

The vmPFC helps us weigh present versus future rewards, making it crucial for decision-making.

The vmPFC helps us understand how our decisions will impact our future emotional states.

The anterior insula is a brain region involved in experiencing and perceiving disgust.

The anterior insula's activity level correlates with the intensity of the disgust experienced.

The anterior insula is activated by both experiencing disgust through smells and observing someone else's disgust.

Electrical stimulation of the anterior insula evokes feelings of nausea, suggesting its role in disgust.

Damage to the anterior insula reduces the ability to both experience and recognize disgust in others.

The anterior insula is activated when experiencing physical pain, suggesting its role in pain perception.

The anterior insula is also activated when observing others in pain, suggesting its role in empathy for pain.

Increased activity in the anterior insula and anterior cingulate cortex is observed when a romantic partner is in pain, suggesting empathy for loved ones.

A neurodevelopmental disorder that primarily impacts social interactions, communication, and behavior. It is characterized by difficulties with social cues, verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behaviors or restricted interests.

A network of brain regions involved in social, emotional, and introspective processing. In individuals with ASD, this network may be less active or even inactive, leading to challenges with self-awareness and introspection.

A condition in which the head size is larger than average. This is observed in approximately 20% of individuals with ASD. While it may be transient, meaning it can occur during certain developmental phases, it can be associated with brain growth and development.

Projections on neurons responsible for transmitting information between brain cells. In ASD, these spines may appear immature, suggesting a delay in brain development.

A brain region involved in emotional regulation, empathy, and decision-making. In autism, alterations in this region may contribute to difficulties with social understanding, interpreting emotions, and self-regulation.

A part of the brain responsible for planning and coordinating voluntary movements. Its altered activity in autism can contribute to difficulties with motor skills, movement coordination, and speech production.

A collection of brain structures that play a crucial role in voluntary movement, habit learning, and reward-seeking behavior. In autism, deviations in basal ganglia activity contribute to repetitive behaviors, motor difficulties, and challenges with motor learning.

A brain area responsible for receiving and transmitting sensory information from all parts of the body to the cortex. In ASD, its altered functionality can impact sensory processing, leading to hypersensitivity, hyposensitivity, or unusual sensory preferences.

A brain region involved in executive functions, including decision-making, planning, and inhibiting inappropriate behavior. In autism, alterations in this area may contribute to difficulties with flexible thinking, planning, and problem-solving.

A brain area located in the temporal lobe, responsible for language processing, comprehension, and production. Its altered activity in autism can contribute to difficulties with language comprehension, expressive language, and social communication.