The social context network model in psychiatric and neurological diseases

Abstract

The role of contextual modulations has been extensively studied in basicsensory and cognitive processes. However, little is known about their impact onsocial cognition, let alone their disruption in disorders compromising such adomain. In this chapter, we flesh out the social context network model (SCNM), a neuroscientific proposal devised to address the issue. In SCNM terms, socialcontext effects rely on a fronto-temporo-insular network in charge of (a) updatingcontext cues to make predictions, (b) consolidating context?target associativelearning, and (c) coordinating internal and external milieus. First, we characterizevarious social cognition domains as context-dependent phenomena. Then, wereview behavioral and neural evidence of social context impairments in behavioralvariant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD),highlighting their relation with key SCNM hubs. Next, we show that other psychiatricand neurological conditions involve context-processing impairments followingdamage to the brain regions included in the model. Finally, we call for anecological approach to social cognition assessment, moving beyond widespreadabstract and decontextualized methods