The neurobiology of social cognition

Recent studies have begun to elucidate the roles played in social cognition by specific neural structures, genes, and neurotransmitter systems. Cortical regions in the temporal robe participate in perceiving socially relevant stimuli, whereas the amygdala, right somatosensory cortices, orbitofrontal cortices, and cingulate cortices all participate in linking perception of such stimuli to motivation, emotion, and cognition. Open questions remain about the domain-specificity of social cognition, about its overlap with emotion and with communication, and about the methods best suited for its investigation.