frontiersin | Although significant advances have been made in our understanding of the
neural basis of action observation and intention understanding in the
last few decades by studies demonstrating the involvement of a specific
brain network (action observation network; AON), these have been largely
based on experimental studies in which people have been considered as
strictly isolated entities. However, we, as social species, spend much
more of our time performing actions interacting with others. Research
shows that a person's position along the continuum of perceived social
isolation/bonding to others is associated with a variety of physical and
mental health effects. Thus, there is a crucial need to better
understand the neural basis of intention understanding performed in
interpersonal and emotional contexts. To address this issue, we
performed a meta-analysis using of functional magnetic resonance imaging
(fMRI) studies over the past decade that examined brain and cortical
network processing associated with understanding the intention of others
actions vs. those associated with passionate love for others. Both
overlapping and distinct cortical and subcortical regions were
identified for intention and love, respectively. These findings provide
scientists and clinicians with a set of brain regions that can be
targeted for future neuroscientific studies on intention understanding,
and help develop neurocognitive models of pair-bonding.
