Development of Functional Connectivity during Adolescence: A Longitudinal Study Using an Action–Observation Paradigm

摘要

Successful interpersonal interactions rely on an ability to readnthe emotional states of others and to modulate oneʼs own behaviornin response. The actions of others serve as valuable socialnstimuli in this respect, offering the observer an insight into thenactorʼs emotional state. Social cognition continues to maturenthroughout adolescence. Here we assess longitudinally the developmentnof functional connectivity during early adolescence withinntwo neural networks implicated in social cognition: one networknof brain regions consistently engaged during action observationnand another one associated with mentalizing. Using fMRI, wenreveal a greater recruitment of the social–emotional networknduring the observation of angry hand actions in male relative tonfemale adolescents. These findings are discussed in terms ofnknown sex differences in adolescent social behavior.