Affective Neuroscience and Theory of Mind: An Analysis on Neural Connections

Year 2025, Volume: 17 Issue: 2, 244 - 260

Emir Halim Özel

https://doi.org/10.18863/pgy.1455639

Abstract

Theory of mind is a neurobiological capability that is concerned with the social cognition of living organisms and studied widely in cognitive neuroscience. Affective neuroscience is a comprehensive neuroscientific theory that examines the affective systems of living things from a neurobiological perspective. Affective neuroscience posits that there are 7 different affective systems in the mammalian brain and these systems are activated by subcortical structures. The aim of this article is to try to explain the theory of mind ability described in cognitive neuroscience with affective neuroscience's affective systems and to propose a region for the neuroanatomical structure of the SELF system that encompasses the theory of mind ability. The paper connects the 3 positive affective systems of affective neuroscience, namely SEEKING, PLAY and CARE, through the relationship between theory of mind and empathy. The main conclusion of the study is that theory of mind, which has deep neural connections within the neocortical structures, may be based on subcortical structures. This connection was established through neural circuits extending from the ventral tegmental area to the medial prefrontal cortex for the SEEKING system. However for the PLAY and CARE systems, this connection was established through the anterior medial cingulate cortex and anterior insula for affective empathy; and through the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, temporopatietal junction and superior temporal sulcus for cognitive empathy. We also argue that the theory of mind and SELF pathway may be encompassed in the pathways of the SEEKING, PLAY and CARE system, starting from the VTA and extending to mesolimbic and mesocortical regions..

Keywords

Affective neuroscience, theory of mind, affect, empathy, self

Afektif Sinirbilim ve Zihin Kuramı: Nöral Bağlantılar Üzerine Bir Analiz

Abstract

Zihin kuramı bilişsel nörobilimde tanımlanan ve canlıların sosyal bilişlerini kapsayan genel bir nörobiyolojik yetenektir. Afektif sinirbilim ise canlıların duygulanım sistemlerini nörobiyolojik perspektiften inceleyen kapsamlı bir nörobilim teorisidir. Afektif sinirbilime göre memeli beyninde 7 farklı duygulanım sistemi vardır ve söz konusu sistemler subkortikal yapılar tarafından aktive olur. Bu makalenin amacı bilişsel nörobilimde tanımlanan zihin kuramı yeteneğini afektif sinirbilimin duygulanım sistemleri ile açıklamaya çalışmak ve KENDİLİK sisteminin nöroanatomik yapısı için zihin kuramı yeteneğini kapsayan bir bölge önermektir. Afektif sinirbilimin tanımladığı 3 pozitif duygulanım sistemi olan ARAYIŞ, OYUN ve BAKIM sistemlerini zihin kuramının empati ile olan ilişkisi neticesinde birbirine bağlayabileceğimizi savunuyoruz. Neokorteks yapılarıyla derin nöral bağlantıları olan zihin kuramı işlevi subkortikal yapılardan temel alıyor olabilir. Bu bağlantının ARAYIŞ sistemi için ventral tegmental alandan medial prefrontal kortekse uzanan nöral devrelerle, OYUN ve BAKIM sistemleri için afektif empati açısından anterior medial singulat korteks ve anterior insula; bilişsel empati açısından dorsomedial prefrontal korteks, temporopatietal bileşke ve superior temporal sulkus üzerinden kurulabileceği önerilmektedir. Ayrıca, zihin teorisi ve KENDİLİK yolağının, VTA'dan başlayıp mezolimbik ve mezokortikal bölgeye uzanan ARAYIŞ, OYUN ve BAKIM sistemi yolaklarına dahil edilebileceği görüşündeyiz.

Keywords

Afektif sinirbilim, zihin kuramı, duygulanım, empati, kendilik

Thanks

Değerli katkılarından ötürü Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Fatma Ebru Köse'ye teşekkür ederim.

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