Hierarchical systems in the default mode network when reasoning about self and other mental states.
Social cognitive and affective neuroscience June 16, 2026 Isaac R Christian, Samuel A Nastase
Thinking about the minds of others and thinking about one's own mind rely on both shared and distinct brain regions. Using fMRI and multi-voxel pattern analysis, brain activity patterns in the ventral medial prefrontal cortex encoded mental state inferences only for the self, while more dorsal regions encoded such inferences for both self and others. The posterior cingulate cortex distinguished whether the target of mental state inference was self or other. Cross-classification analysis revealed that patterns in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and right temporoparietal junction were sensitive to mental state reasoning regardless of whether the target was self or other. These findings suggest a functional hierarchy where some brain areas support agent-specific reasoning and others support more abstract, agent-general reasoning.