PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Yuan-Wei Yao
AU  - Vivien Chopurian
AU  - Lei Zhang
AU  - Claus Lamm
AU  - Hauke R. Heekeren
TI  - Effects of non-invasive brain stimulation on visual perspective taking: A meta-analytic study
AID  - 10.1101/2021.04.24.441219
DP  - 2021 Jan 01
TA  - bioRxiv
PG  - 2021.04.24.441219
4099  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2021/04/26/2021.04.24.441219.short
4100  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2021/04/26/2021.04.24.441219.full
AB  - Visual perspective taking (VPT) is a critical ability required by complex social interaction. Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) has been increasingly used to examine the causal relationship between brain activity and VPT, yet with heterogeneous results. In the current study, we conducted two meta-analyses to examine the effects of NIBS of the right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) or dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) on VPT, respectively. We performed a comprehensive literature search to identify qualified studies, and computed the standardized effect size (ES) for each combination of VPT level (Level-1: visibility judgment; Level-2: mental rotation) and perspective (self and other). Twelve studies (rTPJ: 11 studies, 20 ESs; dmPFC: 4 studies, 18 ESs) were included in the meta-analyses. Random-effects models were used to generate the overall effects. Subgroup analyses for distinct VPT conditions were also performed. We found that stimulation of rTPJ significantly improved participants’ visibility judgment from the allocentric perspective, whereas dmPFC stimulation mainly influenced Level-1 performance from the egocentric perspective. For both areas, the effects of stimulation on Level-2 performance are negligible. These findings suggest that the rTPJ and dmPFC are involved in basic allo-centric and egocentric perspective-taking processes, respectively. Notably, contrary to some theoretical models, neither of them appears to be necessary for more complex VPT with a higher requirement of mental rotation. These findings may help clarify the causal roles of the rTPJ and dmPFC in VPT and emphasize the importance of specifying VPT conditions in experimental designs.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.