The condition-dependent response profile of ToM brain regions is quantitatively weaker in blind than sighted children¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2023 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person · recheck by 2028: baselines and conditions change

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Sighted children showed the expected Mental > Social > Physical response profile in ToM ROIs, but this profile was not apparent among blind children, with significant condition-by-group interactions (all ToM ROIs: bs<−0.2, ts<−2.2, ps<0.05). → Richardson H. 2023

Evidence¶

Richardson H. 2023¶

Richardson H., Saxe R., Bedny M. (2023). Neural correlates of theory of mind reasoning in congenitally blind children. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101285

q3 · i? · associational · r2

fMRI ROI analysis of beta values per story condition in group-defined ToM ROIs for 17 blind and 114 sighted children, controlling for age, handedness, motion, and head coil. Condition differences were "larger among sighted children"; no standardized effect size printed.

"In a direct comparison of blind and sighted children, there were significant condition-by-group interactions such that condition differences were larger among sighted children (all ToM ROIs: bs<−0.2, ts<−2.2, ps<0.05; RTPJ: bs<−0.4, ts<−2.5, ps<0.05)."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Inter-region correlations within the ToM network are lower in blind children, while ToM and language networks remain functionally distinct — related
• RTPJ selectivity for mental state content does not differ between blind and sighted children — related
• RTPJ selectivity correlates with behavioral ToM task performance across blind and sighted children combined — related
• Congenitally blind children perform slightly less accurately on a non-visual behavioral ToM task than sighted children, controlling for age — related