Brain Struct Funct (2012) 217:783–796 Anatomy Toolbox (see Tables 1, 2; Eickhoff et al. 2007; Eickhoff et al. 2005). Meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies related to moral cognition yielded convergent activation in the bilateral ventromedial/frontopolar/dor- somedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC/FP/dmPFC), precuneus (Prec), temporo-parietal junction (TPJ), posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), as well as the right temporal pole (TP), right middle temporal gyrus (MTG), and left amygdala (AM) (Fig. 1; Table 1). Meta-analysis of studies related to ToM revealed convergence in the bilateral vmPFC/FP/dmPFC, Table 1 Peaks of activations for the brain areas consistently engaged in fMRI studies on moral cognition, theory of mind, and empathy as revealed by ALE meta-analysis Macroanatomical location MNI coordinates ALE meta-analysis of moral cognition Ventromedial prefrontal cortex Ventromedial prefrontal cortex Frontopolar cortex Frontopolar cortex Dorsomedial prefrontal cortex Precuneus Right temporo-parietal junction (PGa, PGp) Left temporo-parietal junction (PGa, PGp) Right temporal pole Right middle temporal gyrus Left amygdala Posterior cingulate cortex ALE meta-analysis of theory of mind Ventromedial prefrontal cortex Frontopolar cortex Dorsomedial prefrontal cortex Dorsomedial prefrontal cortex Precuneus Right temporo-parietal junction (PGa, PGp) Left temporo-parietal junction (PGa, PGp) Right temporal pole Left temporal pole Right middle temporal gyrus Left middle temporal gyrus Left middle temporal gyrus Right posterior superior temporal sulcus Left posterior superior temporal sulcus Right inferior frontal gyrus (Area 45) Left inferior frontal gyrus Right MT/V5 ALE meta-analysis of empathy Dorsomedial prefrontal cortex x 4 -10 0 -6 0 0 62 -48 54 54 -22 -4 0 2 -8 4 2 56 -48 54 -54 52 -54 -58 50 -58 54 -48 48 2 y 58 42 62 52 54 -56 -54 -58 8 -8 -2 -26 52 58 56 58 -56 -50 -56 -2 -2 -18 -28 -12 -34 -44 28 30 -72 56 z -8 -18 10 18 36 34 16 22 -28 -16 -24 34 -12 12 30 25 30 18 24 -20 -24 -12 -4 -12 0 4 6 -12 8 18 Table 1 continued Macroanatomical location Dorsomedial prefrontal cortex Right anterior insula Left anterior insula Right inferior frontal gyrus Right inferior frontal gyrus (Area 44) Right inferior frontal gyrus (Area 45) Left inferior frontal gyrus Supplementary motor area (Area 6) Anterior mid-cingulate cortex Rostral anterior cingulate cortex Posterior cingulate cortex Right temporo-parietal junction (PGp) Left temporo-parietal junction (PGa) Right amygdala Right middle temporal gyrus Right posterior superior temporal sulcus Left anterior thalamus Right posterior thalamus Right hippocampus (SUB) Midbrain Right pallidum MNI coordinates x -8 36 -30 50 54 50 -44 -4 -2 -4 -2 52 -56 22 54 52 -12 6 26 2 14 y 54 22 20 12 16 30 24 18 28 42 -32 -58 -58 -2 -8 -36 -4 -32 -26 -20 4 787 z 34 -8 4 -8 20 4 -6 50 20 18 28 22 22 -16 -16 2 12 2 -12 -12 0 All peaks are assigned to the most probable brain areas as revealed by the SPM Anatomy Toolbox (Eickhoff et al. 2007; Amunts et al. 2005; Geyer 2004; Caspers et al. 2006; Amunts et al. 1999; Eickhoff et al. 2005) Prec, TPJ, TP, MTG, posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS), and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), as well as the right MT/V5. Finally, meta-analysis of studies related to empathy yielded convergence in the bilateral dmPFC, supplementary motor area (SMA), rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC), anterior mid-cingulate cortex (aMCC; cf. Vogt 2005), PCC, anterior insula (AI), IFG, midbrain, and TPJ, as well as the anterior thalamus on the left, further, the AM, MTG, pSTS, posterior thalamus, hippocampus, and pallidum on the right. Conjunction analyses We conducted three conjunction analyses to examine where regions consistently involved in moral cognition converged with regions consistently involved in ToM, empathy, or both (Fig. 2; Table 2). In particular, we computed the conjunc- tion across the individual meta-analysis of moral cognition and the difference between the analyses of ToM and empathy. Employing the difference excluded brain activity shared by both ToM and empathy. The conjunction across the neural network linked to moral cognition and the 123