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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 8, 2026

Investigating the Function of Deep Cortical and Subcortical Structures Using Stereotactic Electroencephalography: Lessons from the Anterior Cingulate Cortex
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Published on: April 15, 2015

Getting in touch with ourselves: Self-Compassion is associated with subcortical brain structures.

Gina Sophie Scheiwe1, Philine König1, Esther Zwiky2

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Halle, Germany.

Brain Research Bulletin
|May 7, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Self-compassion and a compassionate attitude are linked to reduced gray matter volume in the amygdala, a brain region crucial for emotion processing. This suggests a neural basis for self-compassion in emotional regulation.

Keywords:
AmygdalaEmotion RegulationNeuroimagingSelf-CompassionStructural MRI

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychology
  • Brain Imaging

Background:

  • Self-compassion is increasingly important in research and psychotherapy.
  • Neural correlates of self-compassion remain largely unexplored.
  • Related constructs like empathy and emotion regulation involve subcortical brain structures.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between self-compassion and brain structure.
  • To examine gray matter volume (GMV) in specific subcortical regions.

Main Methods:

  • Structural MRI data from 301 healthy participants were analyzed.
  • Voxel-wise multiple regression analyses correlated Self-Compassion Scale scores with GMV.
  • Regions of interest included the amygdala, hippocampus, and insula; TFCE correction was applied.

Main Results:

  • A significant negative association was found between self-compassion and GMV in the left amygdala.
  • A negative association was also observed between a self-compassionate attitude and GMV in the bilateral amygdala.
  • No significant associations were found with the hippocampus or insula.

Conclusions:

  • Self-compassion and a self-compassionate attitude are associated with subcortical brain structures involved in emotion processing.
  • Findings suggest a relevance of self-compassion for emotional encoding and appraisal.
  • This study provides initial evidence for the neural correlates of self-compassion.