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Neural correlates of self-reflection
Abstract
The capacity to reflect on one's sense of self is an important component of self-awareness. In this paper, we investigate some of the neurocognitive processes underlying reflection on the self using functional MRI. Eleven healthy volunteers were scanned with echoplanar imaging using the blood oxygen level-dependent contrast method. The task consisted of aurally delivered statements requiring a yes-no decision. In the experimental condition, participants responded to a variety of statements requiring knowledge of and reflection on their own abilities, traits and attitudes (e.g. 'I forget important things', 'I'm a good friend', 'I have a quick temper'). In the control condition, participants responded to statements requiring a basic level of semantic knowledge (e.g. 'Ten seconds is more than a minute', 'You need water to live'). The latter condition was intended to control for auditory comprehension, attentional demands, decision-making, the motoric response, and any common retrieval processes. Individual analyses revealed consistent anterior medial prefrontal and posterior cingulate activation for all participants. The overall activity for the group, using a random-effects model, occurred in anterior medial prefrontal cortex (t = 13.0, corrected P = 0.05; x, y, z, 0, 54, 8, respectively) and the posterior cingulate (t = 14.7, P = 0.02; x, y, z, -2, -62, 32, respectively; 967 voxel extent). These data are consistent with lesion studies of impaired awareness, and suggest that the medial prefrontal and posterior cingulate cortex are part of a neural system subserving self-reflective thought.
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“functional MRI (fMRI) tasks tapping into self-referential cognition activate overlapping brain regions as those modulated by meditation, including the insula, prefrontal cortex (PFC), cingulum and amygdala.22–24”
From Distinct and shared therapeutic neural mechanisms of mindfulness-based and social support stress reduction groups in adults with autism spectrum disorder (2023) · cites this paper as [23]
In the citing paper
“Self-reflection and self-imagery activate the ventral part of the posterior cingulate cortex (the part with which we will be mainly concerned here) (Kircher et al., 2000, 2002; Johnson et al., 2002; Sugiura et al., 2005).”
From The orbitofrontal cortex: reward, emotion and depression (2020) · cites this paper as Johnson et al., 2002
In the citing paper
“Consistent with earlier studies (15-18), a single region was obtained from the random effects contrast of self > other trials located in vMPFC (Fig. 1).”
From Repetition suppression of ventromedial prefrontal activity during judgments of self and others (2008) · cites this paper as [18]
In the citing paper
“Critically, this vMPFC region also has been observed repeatedly during tasks that require participants to introspect about their own mental experiences (15-18)”
From Repetition suppression of ventromedial prefrontal activity during judgments of self and others (2008) · cites this paper as [18]
In the citing paper
“Using two different sets of contrasts, we identified ROIs in vMPFC that, consistent with earlier studies of self-reference (15-18), responded preferentially during trials that required introspection about one's own mental characteristics.”
From Repetition suppression of ventromedial prefrontal activity during judgments of self and others (2008) · cites this paper as [18]
In the citing paper
“Relative to negative valence, positive valence yields more consistent processing in the PCC, accumbens, and lateral occipital cortex, suggesting a link between the limbic-motor interface that allows approach to incentive-based stimuli (Depue and Collins, 1999) and the facilitation of self-referential cognitive activity that is mediated by the PCC (Johnson et al., 2002; Kelley et al., 2002).”
From Neural networks involved in adolescent reward processing: an activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging studies (2015) · cites this paper as Johnson et al., 2002
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Metadata
- Authors
- Johnson, S. C.
- Affiliations
- Barrow Neurological Institute (US)
- Corresponding author
- Johnson, S. C.
- ORCID
- Johnson, S. C.
- Venue
- Brain
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2002-08-01
- Volume
- 125
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 1808-1814
- ISSN
- 0006-8950 (ISSN-L)
- 1460-2156
- OpenAlex
- W2141183879
- Cited by
- 930
- References
- 40
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 31 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 32 · 2020: 26 · 2019: 46 · 2018: 26 · 2017: 30 · 2016: 33 · 2015: 38 · 2014: 50 · 2013: 48 · 2012: 65
- FWCI
- 42.25
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Brain (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (1r03ag018540-01)
- National Institute on Aging (AG18540)
- National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH065723, MH65723)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Philosophy and Theoretical Science
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Mind wandering and attention
- Keywords
- self-reflection, self-awareness, self-knowledge, anterior medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, neural correlates, self-referential processing, impaired awareness, BOLD fMRI
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Brain, Brain Mapping, Cognition, Educational Status, Female, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Neurons, Surveys and Questionnaires, Social Behavior, Thinking
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