Social Intelligence & fMRI: Normal vs. Autistic/Asperger Brain

Simon Baron-Cohen

Apart from general intelligence, there exists the theory of social intelligence, first proposed by primatologist Brothers. She proposed social intelligence as the "ability to interpret others' behavior in terms of mental states, to interact both in complex social groups and in close relationships, to empathize with others' states of mind, and to predict how others will feel, think, and behave." She further posited that the amygdala, orbito-frontal cortex (OFC), and superior temporal gyrus (STG) were the central neural correlates to social intelligence.

Reknowned neuroscientist Simon Baron-Cohen and his team of researchers sought to test this theory in 1999, when they launched a study examining the neural activity/social intelligence of normal subjects juxtaposed alongside patients with autism or Asperger syndrome (AS) -- individuals who are known to have deficits in social intelligence. The study manipulated fMRI technology to monitor brain activity while each patient participated in an interpersonal judgement test, wherein he or she tried to interpret what another person was thinking/feeling by judging the expression in an image of that person's eyes.
The fMRI studies confirmed Brothers' prediction that the STG and amygdala show increased activity when participants used 'social intelligence' to interpret eye expressions. Meanwhile, the patients with autism or AS activated fronto-temporal regions instead of the amygdala, leading them to make mentalistic judgements devoid of emotional comprehension. Ultimately, this study provides evidence for Brothers' theory of social intelligence. However, I am inclined to question the comprehensive validity of fMRI scans in general, due to the lack of temporal accuracy of the scans.