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Empathy Modulates the Activity of the Sensorimotor Mirror Neuron System during Pain Observation
Julio Plata-Bello1,2, Nicole Privato2,3, Cristián Modroño4
1Department of Neurosurgery, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, S/C de Tenerife, 38320 La Laguna, Spain.
Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland)
|November 24, 2023
Summary
Observing pain activates brain regions involved in empathy. Higher empathic concern correlates with greater brain activity and connectivity, particularly in the inferior parietal lobule.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Social Neuroscience
Background:
- The observation of pain in others engages complex neural networks.
- Understanding the neural basis of empathy is crucial for social cognition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate brain activity patterns when observing painful expressions.
- To correlate this neural activity with individual differences in empathy using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI).
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used in 20 healthy adults observing painful expressions.
- Region of interest (ROI) analysis focused on the sensorimotor mirror neuron system (MNS).
- Resting-state fMRI assessed functional connectivity, and regression analysis linked brain activity to IRI scores.
Main Results:
- Observing pain increased activity in frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes, notably the left inferior parietal lobule (IPL).
- A positive correlation was found between brain activity in cingulate gyri/IPL and "empathic concern" IRI scores.
- Higher "empathic concern" also correlated with increased functional connectivity between bilateral IPLs and prefrontal cortex/right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG).
Conclusions:
- Pain observation activates sensorimotor MNS regions.
- Individual empathy levels, specifically "empathic concern," modulate this neural activation and connectivity.
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