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Cao B, Xu Q, Shi Y, Zhao R, Li H, Zheng J, Liu F, Wan Y, Wei B. Pathology of pain and its implications for therapeutic interventions. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:155. [PMID: 38851750 PMCID: PMC11162504 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-024-01845-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Pain is estimated to affect more than 20% of the global population, imposing incalculable health and economic burdens. Effective pain management is crucial for individuals suffering from pain. However, the current methods for pain assessment and treatment fall short of clinical needs. Benefiting from advances in neuroscience and biotechnology, the neuronal circuits and molecular mechanisms critically involved in pain modulation have been elucidated. These research achievements have incited progress in identifying new diagnostic and therapeutic targets. In this review, we first introduce fundamental knowledge about pain, setting the stage for the subsequent contents. The review next delves into the molecular mechanisms underlying pain disorders, including gene mutation, epigenetic modification, posttranslational modification, inflammasome, signaling pathways and microbiota. To better present a comprehensive view of pain research, two prominent issues, sexual dimorphism and pain comorbidities, are discussed in detail based on current findings. The status quo of pain evaluation and manipulation is summarized. A series of improved and innovative pain management strategies, such as gene therapy, monoclonal antibody, brain-computer interface and microbial intervention, are making strides towards clinical application. We highlight existing limitations and future directions for enhancing the quality of preclinical and clinical research. Efforts to decipher the complexities of pain pathology will be instrumental in translating scientific discoveries into clinical practice, thereby improving pain management from bench to bedside.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Cao
- Department of General Surgery, First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Qixuan Xu
- Department of General Surgery, First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Yajiao Shi
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Ruiyang Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Hanghang Li
- Department of General Surgery, First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Jie Zheng
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Fengyu Liu
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - You Wan
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Bo Wei
- Department of General Surgery, First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China.
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Wu T, Zheng H, Zheng G, Huo T, Han S. Do we empathize humanoid robots and humans in the same way? Behavioral and multimodal brain imaging investigations. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae248. [PMID: 38884282 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Humanoid robots have been designed to look more and more like humans to meet social demands. How do people empathize humanoid robots who look the same as but are essentially different from humans? We addressed this issue by examining subjective feelings, electrophysiological activities, and functional magnetic resonance imaging signals during perception of pain and neutral expressions of faces that were recognized as patients or humanoid robots. We found that healthy adults reported deceased feelings of understanding and sharing of humanoid robots' compared to patients' pain. Moreover, humanoid robot (vs. patient) identities reduced long-latency electrophysiological responses and blood oxygenation level-dependent signals in the left temporoparietal junction in response to pain (vs. neutral) expressions. Furthermore, we showed evidence that humanoid robot identities inhibited a causal input from the right ventral lateral prefrontal cortex to the left temporoparietal junction, contrasting the opposite effect produced by patient identities. These results suggest a neural model of modulations of empathy by humanoid robot identity through interactions between the cognitive and affective empathy networks, which provides a neurocognitive basis for understanding human-robot interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taoyu Wu
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Huang Zheng
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Guo Zheng
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Tengbin Huo
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Shihui Han
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
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3
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Juan S, O'Connell KA. A Systematic Review of the Application of Simulation to Promote Empathy in Nursing Education. Simul Healthc 2024:01266021-990000000-00103. [PMID: 38265060 DOI: 10.1097/sih.0000000000000775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
SUMMARY STATEMENT This systematic review aimed to identify, appraise, and synthesize evidence for the effectiveness of simulation modalities in promoting nursing students' empathy. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis was followed with 20 studies included. The Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI) was used to evaluate the quality of the publications. The mean MERSQI score was 10.95 with an SD of 1.62, which was above the average in the literature.Five simulation modalities were identified: standardized patient, simulated suit, manikin, virtual simulation, and virtual reality simulation. Most of the studies (n = 15) reported significant differences in the measured outcomes after their simulation activities, including all 5 simulation modalities, but the most effective modality was the simulation suit. The simulation suit replicates the lived experiences of others, which enhances perspective taking by "turning the student into the patient" through the physical and sensory effects of simulated suits. However, outcome measures were limited to self-report instruments in the studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Juan
- From the Nursing Department, College of Science, California State University East Bay (S.J.), Hayward, CA; and Teachers College Columbia University (K.A.O.), New York, NY
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Di X, Xu T, Uddin LQ, Biswal BB. Individual differences in time-varying and stationary brain connectivity during movie watching from childhood to early adulthood: Age, sex, and behavioral associations. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 63:101280. [PMID: 37480715 PMCID: PMC10393546 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Spatially remote brain regions exhibit dynamic functional interactions across various task conditions. While time-varying functional connectivity during movie watching shows sensitivity to movie content, stationary functional connectivity remains relatively stable across videos. These findings suggest that dynamic and stationary functional interactions may represent different aspects of brain function. However, the relationship between individual differences in time-varying and stationary connectivity and behavioral phenotypes remains elusive. To address this gap, we analyzed an open-access functional MRI dataset comprising participants aged 5-22 years, who watched two cartoon movie clips. We calculated regional brain activity, time-varying connectivity, and stationary connectivity, examining associations with age, sex, and behavioral assessments. Model comparison revealed that time-varying connectivity was more sensitive to age and sex effects compared with stationary connectivity. The preferred age models exhibited quadratic log age or quadratic age effects, indicative of inverted-U shaped developmental patterns. In addition, females showed higher consistency in regional brain activity and time-varying connectivity than males. However, in terms of behavioral predictions, only stationary connectivity demonstrated the ability to predict full-scale intelligence quotient. These findings suggest that individual differences in time-varying and stationary connectivity may capture distinct aspects of behavioral phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Di
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA.
| | - Ting Xu
- Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York, NY 10022, USA
| | - Lucina Q Uddin
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Bharat B Biswal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA.
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5
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Di X, Xu T, Uddin LQ, Biswal BB. Individual differences in time-varying and stationary brain connectivity during movie watching from childhood to early adulthood: age, sex, and behavioral associations. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.30.526311. [PMID: 36778481 PMCID: PMC9915503 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.30.526311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Spatially remote brain regions exhibit dynamic functional interactions across various task conditions. While time-varying functional connectivity during movie watching shows sensitivity to movie content, stationary functional connectivity remains relatively stable across videos. These findings suggest that dynamic and stationary functional interactions may represent different aspects of brain function. However, the relationship between individual differences in time-varying and stationary connectivity and behavioral phenotypes remains elusive. To address this gap, we analyzed an open-access functional MRI dataset comprising participants aged 5 to 22 years, who watched two cartoon movie clips. We calculated regional brain activity, time-varying connectivity, and stationary connectivity, examining associations with age, sex, and behavioral assessments. Model comparison revealed that time-varying connectivity was more sensitive to age and sex effects compared with stationary connectivity. The preferred age models exhibited quadratic log age or quadratic age effects, indicative of inverted-U shaped developmental patterns. In addition, females showed higher consistency in regional brain activity and time-varying connectivity than males. However, in terms of behavioral predictions, only stationary connectivity demonstrated the ability to predict full-scale intelligence quotient. These findings suggest that individual differences in time-varying and stationary connectivity may capture distinct aspects of behavioral phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Di
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
| | - Ting Xu
- Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York, NY 10022, USA
| | - Lucina Q. Uddin
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Bharat B. Biswal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
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6
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Pang C, Li W, Zhou Y, Gao T, Han S. Are women more empathetic than men? Questionnaire and EEG estimations of sex/gender differences in empathic ability. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2023; 18:7046083. [PMID: 36807483 PMCID: PMC9976760 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsad008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The debate regarding whether women are more empathetic than men has broad scientific, social and clinical implications. However, previous independent questionnaires and brain imaging studies that tested different samples reported inconsistent results regarding sex/gender differences in empathic ability. We conducted three studies to investigate sex/gender differences in empathic ability using large-sample questionnaires and electroencephalography (EEG) measures. We showed that the estimation of empathic ability using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index questionnaire showed higher rating scores in women than in men in all studies. However, our EEG measures of empathy, indexed by both phase-locked and non-phased-locked neural responses to others' painful (vs neutral) facial expressions, support a null hypothesis of the sex/gender difference in empathic ability. In addition, we showed evidence that priming social expectations of women and men's ability to share and care about others' feelings eliminated the sex/gender difference in questionnaire measures of empathic ability. Our large-sample EEG results challenge the notion of women's superiority in empathy that is built based on subjective questionnaire measures that are sensitive to social desirability. Our findings indicate that whether the notion of women's superiority in empathic ability reflects a biological/social difference between women and men or a gender-role stereotype remains an open question.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyu Pang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing 100080, China
| | - Wenxin Li
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing 100080, China
| | - Yuqing Zhou
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing 100080, China
| | - Tianyu Gao
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing 100080, China
| | - Shihui Han
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing 100080, China
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Karimova ED, Gulyaeva AS, Katermin NS. The degree of mu rhythm suppression in women is associated with presence of children as well as empathy and anxiety level. Soc Neurosci 2022; 17:382-396. [PMID: 35950700 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2022.2112753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
In experiments on observing and performing social gestures, the level of mu rhythm suppression is associated with the activity of the mirror neuron system (MNS), which is responsible for the perception and understanding of nonverbal signals in social communication. In turn, while MNS activity may be associated primarily with empathy, it is also associated with other psychological and demographic factors affecting the effectiveness of cortical neural networks.In this study, we verified the influence of empathy, state and trait anxiety levels, presence and number of children, age, and menstrual cycle phase on the mu-suppression level in 40 women. We used 32-channel EEG recorded during observation, and synchronous execution of various hand movements. The ICA infomax method was used for decomposing and selecting the left hemisphere component of the mu-rhythm.Mu-suppression was higher in women with one child, with higher levels of empathy, and with lower anxiety levels. It is possible that MNS activity is stronger in women during parental care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina D Karimova
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of RAS (IHNA&NPh RAS), Moscow, Russia
| | - Alena S Gulyaeva
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of RAS (IHNA&NPh RAS), Moscow, Russia
| | - Nikita S Katermin
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of RAS (IHNA&NPh RAS), Moscow, Russia
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8
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Yoder KJ, Harenski CL, Kiehl KA, Decety J. Psychopathic traits modulate functional connectivity during pain perception and perspective-taking in female inmates. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 34:102984. [PMID: 35276604 PMCID: PMC8907686 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.102984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
PCL-R scores are associated with altered functional connectivity in female inmates. PCL-R Factor 1 and Factor 2 subscores predicted opposite shifts in connectivity. Functional connectivity in the salience network is altered during pain perception. Connectivity in the social cognition network is altered during perspective-taking.
The ability to share and understand the distress of others is critical for successful social interactions and is a fundamental building block of morality. Psychopathy is a personality disorder that includes lack of empathy and concern for others. In the present study, functional MRI was used to examine neural responses and functional connectivity associated with empathy and affective perspective-taking in female inmates (N = 109) with various levels of psychopathic traits, as measured with Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R). Participants viewed hands and feet in painful or non-painful situations while adopting a first person or third person perspective. All participants demonstrated robust neural responses in anterior insula (aINS), anterior cingulate (ACC), temporoparietal junction (TPJ) and supplementary motor area (SMA) when viewing pain, both during imagine-self and imagine-other blocks. Psychopathy shifted the functional connectivity seeded in core nodes of the salience and social cognition networks. Perceiving stimuli depicting somatic pain led to decreased functional coupling from right temporoparietal junction to superior temporal sulcus, which correlated with scores on PCL-R Factor 1 (Affective/Interpersonal). In contrast, connectivity from right insula to precuneus increased with Factor 2 (Lifestyle/Antisocial) scores. When adopting a third-person perspective, psychopathic traits modulated connectivity from the social cognition network, but not the salience network, with Factor 1 scores associated with increased connectivity to sensorimotor cortex and temporal pole, while Factor 2 scores were associated with decreased connectivity with ACC/SMA and inferior frontal gyrus. Overall, these results demonstrate that psychopathic traits in incarcerated females are associated with atypical functional connectivity within the salience network during pain-empathy processing and within the social cognition network during affective perspective-taking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith J Yoder
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States.
| | - Carla L Harenski
- The Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical, Albuquerque, NM, United States; Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Kent A Kiehl
- The Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical, Albuquerque, NM, United States; Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Jean Decety
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
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9
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Rochat MJ. Sex and gender differences in the development of empathy. J Neurosci Res 2022; 101:718-729. [PMID: 35043464 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The topic of typical sex and gender difference in empathy is examined in both a developmental and neuroscientific perspective. Empathy is construed as a multi-layered phenomenon with various degrees of complexity unfolding in ontogeny. The different components of empathy (i.e., affective, cognitive, and prosocial motivation) will be discussed as they interact and are expressed behaviorally. Significant sex/gender differences in empathy are discussed in relation to putative bottom-up or top-down processes underlying empathetic responses. The early onset and the pervasive presence of such sex/gender differences throughout the lifespan are further discussed in light of social and neurobiological modeling factors, including early socialization, brain's structural/functional variances, as well as genetics and hormonal factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magali Jane Rochat
- Functional and Molecular Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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10
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Brain activation elicited by acute stress: An ALE meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 132:706-724. [PMID: 34801579 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Stress abounds in daily life and is closely related to psychiatric disease. Less is known about the neural basis for the gender differences in stress, and the common and specific neural mechanism for physiological and psychosocial stress. The current study obtained 141 stress-oriented neuroimaging experiments from 126 eligible articles and sorted them into nine types of neuroimaging datasets based on the combination of stress (general, physiological or psychosocial) and gender (overall, male or female). An activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis was conducted on each dataset to detect the spatial convergence of activations. A hierarchical clustering analysis was also conducted to uncover the relationship between the stress-induced paradigms and spatial distribution of brain activations. We found that the physiological stress and psychosocial stress showed common activation in the bilateral anterior insula and brainstem, but different activation likelihood in the bilateral insula, thalami, middle cingulate cortex, left fusiform gyri, and left amygdala. Men were more likely to activate the bilateral thalami during physiological stress, whereas women were more likely to activate the left amygdala during psychosocial stress. The activation patterns are more consistent among different physiological stress paradigms than psychosocial stress paradigms. Our results suggest that physiological stress and psychosocial stress activate common brain regions for movement and attentional regulation but different brain regions for sensory and affective processing.
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Fallon N, Roberts C, Stancak A. Shared and distinct functional networks for empathy and pain processing: a systematic review and meta-analysis of fMRI studies. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 15:709-723. [PMID: 32608498 PMCID: PMC7511882 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsaa090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 06/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Empathy for pain is a complex phenomenon incorporating sensory, cognitive and affective processes. Functional neuroimaging studies indicate a rich network of brain activations for empathic processing. However, previous research focused on core activations in bilateral anterior insula (AI) and anterior cingulate/anterior midcingulate cortex (ACC/aMCC) which are also typically present during nociceptive (pain) processing. Theoretical understanding of empathy would benefit from empirical investigation of shared and contrasting brain activations for empathic and nociceptive processing. METHOD Thirty-nine empathy for observed pain studies (1112 participants; 527 foci) were selected by systematic review. Coordinate based meta-analysis (activation likelihood estimation) was performed and novel contrast analyses compared neurobiological processing of empathy with a comprehensive meta-analysis of 180 studies of nociceptive processing (Tanasescu et al., 2016). RESULTS Conjunction analysis indicated overlapping activations for empathy and nociception in AI, aMCC, somatosensory and inferior frontal regions. Contrast analysis revealed increased likelihood of activation for empathy, relative to nociception, in bilateral supramarginal, inferior frontal and occipitotemporal regions. Nociception preferentially activated bilateral posterior insula, somatosensory cortex and aMCC. CONCLUSION Our findings support the likelihood of shared and distinct neural networks for empathic, relative to nociceptive, processing. This offers succinct empirical support for recent tiered or modular theoretical accounts of empathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Fallon
- Correspondence should be addressed to Nicholas Fallon, Department of Psychological Sciences, Institute of Psychology, Health and Society, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, Bedford Street South, Liverpool L69 7ZA, UK. E-mail:
| | - Carl Roberts
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L697ZA, UK
| | - Andrej Stancak
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L697ZA, UK
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12
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Frontotemporal dementia, music perception and social cognition share neurobiological circuits: A meta-analysis. Brain Cogn 2021; 148:105660. [PMID: 33421942 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2020.105660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a neurodegenerative disease that presents with profound changes in social cognition. Music might be a sensitive probe for social cognition abilities, but underlying neurobiological substrates are unclear. We performed a meta-analysis of voxel-based morphometry studies in FTD patients and functional MRI studies for music perception and social cognition tasks in cognitively normal controls to identify robust patterns of atrophy (FTD) or activation (music perception or social cognition). Conjunction analyses were performed to identify overlapping brain regions. In total 303 articles were included: 53 for FTD (n = 1153 patients, 42.5% female; 1337 controls, 53.8% female), 28 for music perception (n = 540, 51.8% female) and 222 for social cognition in controls (n = 5664, 50.2% female). We observed considerable overlap in atrophy patterns associated with FTD, and functional activation associated with music perception and social cognition, mostly encompassing the ventral language network. We further observed overlap across all three modalities in mesolimbic, basal forebrain and striatal regions. The results of our meta-analysis suggest that music perception and social cognition share neurobiological circuits that are affected in FTD. This supports the idea that music might be a sensitive probe for social cognition abilities with implications for diagnosis and monitoring.
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Tremblay MPB, Marcoux A, Turcotte V, Woods J, Rouleau C, Grondin F, Jackson PL. I Can But I Shall Not Always Be Empathic. Psychol Rep 2020; 124:1634-1672. [PMID: 32757717 DOI: 10.1177/0033294120945180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Empathy, a core process for social interactions, is the capacity to understand and share others' mental states and emotions. Each individual is thought to have a maximum level of empathy (empathic ability) and a spontaneous tendency to express it (empathic propensity), which can be affected by multiple factors. Two within-subject studies were conducted to assess the malleability of empathy by modulating contextual factors and measuring their interaction with psychological characteristics. In Study 1, 59 healthy adults evaluated their empathy for people showing facial expressions of pain following different instructions: Passive Observation and Instruction to Actively Empathize. In Study 2, 56 healthy adults performed a similar task under two conditions: Passive Observation and Observation under a Cognitive Load. The results revealed that empathy was significantly increased in the actively empathizing condition (Study 1) and under a cognitive load, but more importantly for men (Study 2). The level of change between the two conditions was associated with self-reported empathy, autistic, alexithymia and psychopathic traits (Study 1), as well as with working memory capacities and the level of empathy reported in the passive observation condition (Study 2). These findings suggest that an instruction to actively empathize and, surprisingly, a cognitive load can both increase empathy, but not for the same individuals. An instruction to actively empathize seems to increase empathy for individuals with good empathic dispositions, while a cognitive load enhances empathy in people for which empathic propensity is sub-optimal.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Audrey Marcoux
- École de psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, Canada; Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et intégration sociale, Québec, Canada; Centre de recherche CERVO, Québec, Canada
| | - Valérie Turcotte
- École de psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, Canada; Centre de recherche CERVO, Québec, Canada
| | - Jamie Woods
- École de psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, Canada; Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et intégration sociale, Québec, Canada
| | - Camille Rouleau
- École de psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, Canada; Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et intégration sociale, Québec, Canada; Centre de recherche CERVO, Québec, Canada
| | - Frédéric Grondin
- École de psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, Canada; Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et intégration sociale, Québec, Canada; Centre de recherche CERVO, Québec, Canada
| | - Philip L Jackson
- École de psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, Canada; Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et intégration sociale, Québec, Canada; Centre de recherche CERVO, Québec, Canada
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14
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Heany SJ, Terburg D, Stein DJ, van Honk J, Bos PA. Neural responses in the pain matrix when observing pain of others are unaffected by testosterone administration in women. Exp Brain Res 2020; 238:751-759. [PMID: 32086551 PMCID: PMC7080706 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-020-05749-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
There is evidence of testosterone having deteriorating effects on cognitive and affective empathic behaviour in men and women under varying conditions. However, whether testosterone influences empathy for pain has not yet been investigated. Therefore, we tested neural responses to witnessing others in pain in a within-subject placebo-controlled testosterone administration study in healthy young women. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we provide affirming evidence that an empathy-inducing paradigm causes changes in the activity throughout the pain circuitry, including the bilateral insula and anterior cingulate cortex. Administration of testosterone, however, did not influence these activation patterns in the pain matrix. Testosterone has thus downregulating effects on aspects of empathic behaviour, but based on these data does not seem to influence neural responses during empathy for others' pain. This finding gives more insight into the role of testosterone in human empathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J. Heany
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - David Terburg
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Dan J. Stein
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jack van Honk
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Peter A. Bos
- Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Christov-Moore L, Reggente N, Douglas PK, Feusner JD, Iacoboni M. Predicting Empathy From Resting State Brain Connectivity: A Multivariate Approach. Front Integr Neurosci 2020; 14:3. [PMID: 32116582 PMCID: PMC7033456 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2020.00003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent task fMRI studies suggest that individual differences in trait empathy and empathic concern are mediated by patterns of connectivity between self-other resonance and top-down control networks that are stable across task demands. An untested implication of this hypothesis is that these stable patterns of connectivity should be visible even in the absence of empathy tasks. Using machine learning, we demonstrate that patterns of resting state fMRI connectivity (i.e. the degree of synchronous BOLD activity across multiple cortical areas in the absence of explicit task demands) of resonance and control networks predict trait empathic concern (n = 58). Empathic concern was also predicted by connectivity patterns within the somatomotor network. These findings further support the role of resonance-control network interactions and of somatomotor function in our vicariously driven concern for others. Furthermore, a practical implication of these results is that it is possible to assess empathic predispositions in individuals without needing to perform conventional empathy assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Christov-Moore
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Institute for Simulation and Training, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, United States
- Brain and Creativity Institute, School of International Relations, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Nicco Reggente
- The Tiny Blue Dot Foundation, Santa Monica, CA, United States
| | - Pamela K. Douglas
- Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Institute for Simulation and Training, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, United States
| | - Jamie D. Feusner
- Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Marco Iacoboni
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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