Brain structure and function correlates of general and social cognition.

Rowe DL Cooper NJ, Liddell BJ, Clark RC, Gordon E & Williams LM (2007). Brain structure and function correlates of general and social cognition, Journal of Integrative Neuroscience, 6, 35-74.

EEG FMRI alpha social general cognition

Aims: To examine how general (e.g., memory, attention) and social (emotional and interpersonal processes) cognition relate to measures of brain function and structure.

Methods: PCA was used to identify general and social cognitive factors from Brain Resource International Database in 1,316 subjects. The identified factors were correlated with each subject’s corresponding brain structure (MRI) and function (EEG/ERP) data.

Results: Seven core cognitive factors were identified for general and three for social. General cognition was correlated with global grey matter, while social cognition was negatively correlated with grey matter in fronto-temporal-somatosensory regions. Executive function, information processing speed and verbal memory performance were correlated with delta-theta qEEG, while most general cognitive factors negatively correlated with beta qEEG. Faster information processing speed was correlated with alpha qEEG. Executive function and information processing speed was correlated with negative-going ERP amplitude and slower ERP latency at frontal sites, but at posterior sites negative correlations were found.

Discussion: In contrast to general cognition, social cognition is identified by different functional (automated) activity and more localised neural structures. Only general cognition, requiring more effortful, controlled processing is related to brain function measures, particularly in frontal cortices.

Integrative Significance: Recording measures from multiple modalities including MRI, EEG/ERP, social and general cognition within the same subject provides a method of brain profiling for use in cognitive-neurotherapy and pharmacological studies.