The brain mechanism underlying the understanding of action intention and mentalizing / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ABSTRACT

Mentalizing is the vital cognitive basis of understanding of action intention.However,there are few studies on the complex relationship of them.The present study,firstly,discusses the concepts and the brain mechanisms of empathy and understanding of action intention,indicating the temporal dynamic features of mentalizing as well as understanding of action intention.Secondly,based on Intention Processing Network,the process of mentalizing in understanding of action intention is in hierarchy and division.During which,ventral medial prefrontal lobe plays a vital role on integrating and transforming the cognitive and affective information.Empathy and mentalizing transform into each other through ventral medial prefrontal lobe.So empathy probably mediates the relationship of mentalizing and understanding of action intention.Empathy,mentalizing and understanding of action intention can be integrated under the framework of hybrid models.Future studies should examine the relationship between empathy and understanding of action intention by empirical researches.