The neuropsychology of self-reflection in psychiatric illness

Abstract

The development of robust neuropsychological measures of social and affective function-which link critical dimensions of mental health to their underlying neural circuitry-could be a key step in achieving a more pathophysiologically-based approach to psychiatric medicine. In this article, we summarize research indicating that self-reflection (the inward attention to personal thoughts, memories, feelings, and actions) may be a useful model for developing such a paradigm, as there is evidence that self-reflection is (1) measurable with self-report scales and performance-based tests, (2) linked to the activity of a specific neural circuit, and (3) dimensionally related to mental health and various forms of psychopathology.

Keywords: Anxiety; Autism; Default mode network; Depression; Medial prefrontal cortex; Neuropsychology; Psychiatric illness; Psychopathy; Rest-state functional neuroimaging; Self-reflection.