Resting functional connectivity of the left inferior frontal gyrus with the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and temporoparietal junction reflects the social network size for active interactions

The size of an individual active social network is a key parameter of human social behavior and is correlated with subjective well-being. However, it remains unknown how the social network size of active interactions is represented in the brain. Here, we examined whether resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) connectivity is associated with the social network size of active interactions using behavioral data of a large sample (N = 222) on Twitter. Region of interest (ROI)-to-ROI analysis, graph theory analysis, seed-based analysis, and decoding analysis together provided compelling evidence that people who have a large social network size of active interactions, as measured by reply, show higher fMRI connectivity of the left inferior frontal gyrus with the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and temporoparietal junction, which represents the core of the theory of mind network. These results demonstrated that people who have a large social network size of active interactions maintain activity of the identified functional connectivity in daily life, possibly providing a mechanism for efficient information transmission between the brain networks related to language and theory-of-mind.

Automated summary

This study used behavioral data and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to explore the brain connectivity associated with the size of an individual's active social network. The results showed that individuals with a larger social network size exhibited higher fMRI connectivity between the left inferior frontal gyrus and the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and temporoparietal junction, which are core regions of the theory of mind network.