A cognitive ontology dataset for neuroimaging studies of self-referential processing

Self-referential processing refers to a class of cognitive processes involved in perceiving, memorizing, and making decisions about information related to oneself. It has been widely studied in cognitive neuroscience to better understand the neural basis of the human self-concept. Constructed in strict accordance with the PRISMA reporting guidelines (see Page et al., 2021), this dataset was developed through a systematic search and selection of neuroimaging studies on self-referential processing from the PubMed and Web of Science databases. The extracted data were subsequently standardized, and inter-rater reliability analyses were conducted to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the dataset.Compared with automated meta-analytic platforms such as Neurosynth, this dataset provides greater precision in study selection and in documenting the operational details of key constructs such as the “self-reference effect.” It helps reveal how the self-reference effect and related concepts have been operationalized in cognitive neuroscience research, and highlights the importance of such operationalizations for theory and methodology in the field. For more detailed information on the dataset structure, version history, and other relevant details, please refer to the README.md file.The dataset has now been updated to Version 4. The first two versions included only 66 neuroimaging studies involving healthy participants, whereas Versions 3 and 4 were further expanded to include studies involving participants with a range of psychiatric disorders. In addition, the age range covered by the dataset has been broadened to include children, adolescents, and older adults. In Version 4, the literature search strategy was further optimized by adopting broader and more targeted keyword combinations related to self-referential processing, thereby expanding the scope of the search and resulting in the inclusion of 26 additional studies. These newly included studies involve both psychiatric populations and healthy control participants performing self-referential tasks. Future versions will continue to incorporate studies examining other types of self-related stimuli, such as self-face recognition and autobiographical memory.