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Cited by 489Action Observation and SynchronizationNeural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesNeurobiology of Language and Bilingualism

A nexus model of the temporal–parietal junction

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Carter, R. McKell, Huettel, Scott A.·2013·Trends in Cognitive Sciences
DOI 10.1016/j.tics.2013.05.007PMC PMC3750983
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Abstract

The temporal-parietal junction (TPJ) has been proposed to support either specifically social functions or non-specific processes of cognition such as memory and attention. To account for diverse prior findings, we propose a nexus model for TPJ function: overlap of basic processes produces novel secondary functions at their convergence. We present meta-analytic evidence that is consistent with the anatomical convergence of attention, memory, language, and social processing in the TPJ, leading to a higher-order role in the creation of a social context for behavior. The nexus model accounts for recent examples of TPJ contributions specifically to decision making in a social context and provides a potential reconciliation for competing claims about TPJ function.

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  • Theory of Mind tasks have been reported to activate superior and posterior regions of the rTPJ.

    “Theory of Mind tasks have been reported to activate superior and posterior regions of the rTPJ”

    From Functional Heterogeneity and Convergence in the Right Temporoparietal Junction (2016) · cites this paper as Carter and Huettel 2013

    The Social Function in the TPJ section links theory of mind to activation in the angular gyrus within the right TPJ region. However, Broader Explanations for TPJ’s Role in Social Cognition places theory-of-mind activation peaks largely in the inferior angular gyrus, not a superior region. The claimed superior location is therefore not supported. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Attention-reorienting activations have been reported to activate superior and anterior regions of the rTPJ.

    “attention-reorienting activations have been reported to activate superior and anterior regions of the rTPJ”

    From Functional Heterogeneity and Convergence in the Right Temporoparietal Junction (2016) · cites this paper as Carter and Huettel 2013

    The ‘Broader Explanations for TPJ’s role in Social Cognition’ section reports that attention-reorienting tasks activate the TPJ and that reorienting activation peaks fall in the supramarginal gyrus, rather than the inferior angular gyrus. Our copy does not explicitly locate those activation peaks in both the superior and anterior regions of the right TPJ; its reference to anterior TPJ concerns lesions associated with spatial neglect, not reorienting activations. (LLM, conf=0.78)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • The rTPJ is functionally heterogeneous, having been associated with attention, memory, language, and social cognition.

    “Recent meta-analytical and review articles have highlighted the functional heterogeneity of the rTPJ, which has been associated with such disparate cognitive processes such as attention, memory, language, and social cognition (Cabeza et al. 2012;Carter and Huettel 2013).”

    From Functional Heterogeneity and Convergence in the Right Temporoparietal Junction (2016) · cites this paper as Carter and Huettel 2013

  • Biological motion activations have been reported to activate ventral portions of the rTPJ.

    “Biological motion activations have been reported to activate ventral portions of the rTPJ”

    From Functional Heterogeneity and Convergence in the Right Temporoparietal Junction (2016) · cites this paper as Carter and Huettel 2013

  • The results from this study support the view of the TPJ as a convergence zone as suggested by previous reviews.

    “The results from this study support the view of the TPJ as a convergence zone as suggested by previous reviews (Binder and Desai 2011;Shimamura 2011;Carter and Huettel 2013), and calls for further investigation into the underlying cognitive and neural processes performed by this common yet distinct area of the TPJ.”

    From Functional Heterogeneity and Convergence in the Right Temporoparietal Junction (2016) · cites this paper as Carter and Huettel 2013

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Carter, R. M., & Huettel, S. A.
Affiliations
Duke University (US)
Corresponding author
Huettel, Scott A.
ORCID
Venue
Trends in Cognitive Sciences
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2013-07
Volume
17
Issue
7
Pages
328-336
ISSN
1364-6613 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.tics.2013.05.007
PMC
PMC3750983
OpenAlex
W2063018860
Cited by
489
References
27
Citations by year
2026: 41 · 2025: 36 · 2024: 29 · 2023: 42 · 2022: 41 · 2021: 42 · 2020: 45 · 2019: 36 · 2018: 50 · 2017: 46 · 2016: 35 · 2015: 26 · 2014: 20
FWCI
3.54
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Trends in Cognitive Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • U.S. Public Health Service (R01-86712)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH086712)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Action Observation and Synchronization
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism
Keywords
temporoparietal junction, social cognition, attention, memory, language, social processing, decision-making, functional specialization
MeSH terms
Cognition, Humans, Models, Neurological, Nerve Net, Parietal Lobe, Social Behavior, Temporal Lobe

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