Theory of Mind in Parkinson's Disease and Related Basal Ganglia Disorders: A Systematic Review

Theory of mind (ToM), defined as the ability to infer other people's mental states, is a crucial prerequisite of human social interaction and a major topic of interest in the recent neuroscientific research. It has been proposed that ToM is mediated by a complex neuroanatomical network that includes the medical prefrontal cortex, the anterior gyrus cingult, the sulcus temporalis superior, the temporal poles, and the amygdala. Various neurological and psychiatric diseases are accompamed by aspects of dysfunctional ToM processing In this review, the association between basal ganglia involved in the organization of complex cognitive and emotional behavior, and ToM processing is discussed. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of research on ToM abilities in basal ganglia disorders, especially Parkinson's Disease and related disorders (C) 2009 Movement Disorder Society.