The emergence of the social brain network: Evidence from typical and atypical development

Mark H. Johnson [1], Richard Griffin [2], Gergely Csibra [1], Hanife Halit [1], Teresa Farroni [1], Michelle de Haan [3], Leslie A. Tucker [1], Simon Baron-Cohen [2] and John Richards [4]

1. Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, School of Psychology, Birkbeck, University of London

2. Autism Research Centre, Cambridge University

3. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Institute of Child Health, University College London

4. Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina

Corresponding Author:
Mark Johnson
Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development
School of Psychology
Birkbeck, University of London
Malet Street
London WC1E 7HX
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7631 6585
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7631 6587
Email: mark.Johnson@bbk.ac.uk

Several research groups have identified a network of regions of the adult cortex that are activated during social perception and cognition tasks.  In this paper, we focus on the development of components of this social brain network during early childhood and test aspects of a particular viewpoint on human functional brain development:  'Interactive Specialization'.  Specifically, we apply new data analysis techniques to a previously published data set of event-related potential studies involving infants of 3, 4 and 12 months viewing faces of different orientation and direction of eye gaze.  Using source separation and localisation methods, several likely generators of scalp recorded ERP are identified, and we describe how they are modulated by stimulus characteristics.  We then review the results of a series of experiments concerned with perceiving and acting on eye gaze, before reporting on a new experiment involving young children with autism.  Finally, we discuss predictions based on the atypical emergence of the social brain network.

Acknowledgements

This work was funded by UK Medical Research Council Programme Grants numbers G9901005 and G9715587 to MHJ and SBC.  TF was supported by a Wellcome Trust Research Fellowship number 073985/Z/03/Z.