ABSTRACT

The well-established evidence that the acquisition of theory of mind (ToM) around 3 to 5 years is developmentally related to executive functions (EF). Several theories have been proposed explaining this ToM-EF connection. Among them is the suggestion that ToM and EF are mediated by the same region in the prefrontal cortex. In the last 10 years, a boom in cognitive neuroscience has set in, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has become increasingly popular as a noninvasive tool for exploring brain activations during ToM and EF tasks. Before proceeding to fMRI studies of ToM, inhibition, and working memory, it is helpful to give an overview of the cytoarchitecture of the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex lies in the front of the posterior part of the frontal cortex, which comprises the premotor cortex and the supplementary motor area SMA and the primary motor cortex. Compared with fMRI studies with adults, studies using fMRI with children and adolescents are scarce.