A specific brain region develops over time to become the seat of the self
the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
confidence 91/100
Neuroscientific evidence supports the view that specific cortical midline structures, particularly regions of the medial prefrontal cortex, develop and function as key neural substrates underlying self-referential processing and the seat of the self.
Evidence for · 6
Distinct Regions of the Medial Prefrontal Cortex Are Associated with Self-referential Processing and Perspective Taking
2007 · cited by 392
Identifies specific subregions of the medial prefrontal cortex as being explicitly associated with self-referential processing.
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More for · 5
Self-Referential Processing, Rumination, and Cortical Midline Structures in Major Depression
2013 · cited by 353
Links cortical midline structures, particularly the medial prefrontal cortex, to the ongoing mediation of self-focus and self-referential processing.
Why People Are Always Thinking about Themselves: Medial Prefrontal Cortex Activity during Rest Primes Self-referential Processing
2018 · cited by 59
Shows that the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC/BA 10) spontaneously engages by default to prime self-referential thinking.
Emotional-cognitive integration, the self, and cortical midline structures
2005 · cited by 5
Proposes that cortical midline structures form the neural correlate and unity that characterizes the self.
Resting-state fMRI activation is associated with parent-reported phenotypic features of autism in early adolescence
2024 · cited by 1
Demonstrates that activation in regions like the medial prefrontal cortex correlates with social and self-referential phenotypic features during neurodevelopment.
Multimodal correlates of socioemotional movie-watching and their associations with internalizing symptoms in childhood and adulthood.
2026 · cited by 0
Finds age-group differences in how regions like the posterior midline and prefrontal cortex recruit for self-referential appraisal across childhood and adulthood.