Theory of mind in Parkinson's disease and related basal ganglia disorders: a systematic review.

Theory of mind (ToM), defined as the ability to infer other people's mental states, is a crucial prerequisite of human social interaction and a major topic of interest in the recent neuroscientific research. It has been proposed that ToM is mediated by a complex neuroanatomical network that includes the medial prefrontal cortex, the anterior gyrus cinguli, the sulcus temporalis superior, the temporal poles, and the amygdala. Various neurological and psychiatric diseases are accompanied by aspects of dysfunctional ToM processing. In this review, the association between basal ganglia, involved in the organization of complex cognitive and emotional behavior, and ToM processing is discussed. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of research on ToM abilities in basal ganglia disorders, especially Parkinson's Disease and related disorders.