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SUMMARY:Search for extra-terrestrial integrity - SETi. A Neuroscientific S
 tudy of ‘Theory of Mind’ with a Nonverbal Task Employing Algorithmical
 ly Generated Sounds of Varying Dissonance Level. - Fernando Bravo\, Centre
  for Music and Science\, University of Cambridge
DTSTART:20141014T120000Z
DTEND:20141014T130000Z
UID:TALK53683@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Amber Ruigrok
DESCRIPTION:This study involved the design and preliminary testing of an a
 udiovisual paradigm that proved effective in measuring the psychological f
 unctions and the underlying neural mechanisms associated with mental state
  attribution and contextual memory processes. The experiment required part
 icipants to categorise sound stimuli of distinct levels of dissonance (i.e
 . emotion recognition in sound) employing a theory of mind task. Subjects 
 viewed an invariant still image of a radio-telescope\, and were given the 
 following instruction: “A radio-telescope located in Cambridge captured 
 a series of radio signals from outer space. You will listen to these sound
 s and your task is to think and decide if they were produced by good or ba
 d aliens. You will hear 24 different sounds in total”. Separate behaviou
 ral and neuroscientific (fMRI) experiments were conducted. Sound categorie
 s were highly ambiguous. The degree of perceptual uncertainty involved was
  reflected in post-experimental discussions\, which showed participants un
 der the impression of being randomly rating the sounds. Results\, however\
 , showed a significant difference in the judgements. Consonant sounds were
  clearly ascribed to good aliens whereas dissonant sounds were attributed 
 to bad aliens. The results of the neuroscientific (fMRI) experiment demons
 trated that distinct levels of dissonance exerted differential modulatory 
 influences on the right angular gyrus (AG)\, an area in the right temporo-
 parietal junction (rTPJ) that has been implicated in mental state attribut
 ion processes (Saxe et al.\, 2005). Notably\, a multiple regression analys
 is incorporating the Autism Spectrum Quotient test scores (or AQ test) (Ba
 ron-Cohen\, Wheelwright\, Skinner\, Martin & Clubley\, 2001)\, which aims 
 to investigate whether adults of average intelligence have symptoms of aut
 ism spectrum conditions\; indicated that participants with higher levels o
 f autistic traits\, especially within the social skills dimension\, presen
 ted significant difficulties in the recognition of positive valence in con
 sonant sound patterns. An analysis of the neural mechanisms engaged while 
 participants were judging these consonant sounds revealed a marked coactiv
 ation between the parahippocampal cortex (PHC) and the rTPJ. Given the inv
 olvement of the PHC in storage and recall of long-term associations built 
 up over repeated exposure (e.g. consonant sounds cue retrieval of positive
  valence associations) (Gosselin et al.\, 2006\; Aminoff et al.\, 2013) an
 d the role of the rTPJ in reasoning about the others’ mental states (e.g
 . intentions)\, the findings were considered to suggest an active process 
 in which contextual associations for the consonant sound patterns (e.g. pl
 easantness\, smoothness) were being retrieved to emotionally qualify the i
 ntentions represented at the level of the rTPJ. Following extensive functi
 onal and effective connectivity analyses\, I proposed that a compromised u
 se of associative memory to affectively contextualise mental state attribu
 tions may underlie the difficulties observed in participants with more aut
 istic traits in recognising positive valence in consonant sounds. \n\nRefs
 .\nAminoff\, M.\, Kveraga\, K.\, Bar\, M. (2013). The role of the parahipp
 ocampal cortex in cognition\, Trends in Cognitive Sciences\, Volume 17\, I
 ssue 8\, August 2013\, Pages 379-390\, ISSN 1364-6613.\nBaron-Cohen\, S.\,
  Wheelwright\, S.\, Skinner\, R.\, Martin\, J.\, Clubley\, E. (2001). The 
 autism-spectrum quotient (AQ): evidence from Asperger syndrome/high-functi
 oning autism\, males and females\, scientists and mathematicians. J Autism
  Dev Disorders\, 31\, 5-17.\nGosselin\, N.\, Samson\, S.\, Adolphs\, R.\, 
 Noulhiane\, M.\, Roy\, M.\, Hasboun\, D.\, Baulac\, M.\, Peretz\, I. (2006
 ). Emotional responses to unpleasant music correlates with damage to the p
 arahippocampal cortex. Brain\, 129\, 2585-2592.
LOCATION:Margaret Lowenfeld Room\, Brookside Family Consultation Clinic (n
 ext to Douglas House)
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