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Stevens L, Bregulla M, Scheele D. Out of touch? How trauma shapes the experience of social touch - Neural and endocrine pathways. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 159:105595. [PMID: 38373642 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Trauma can shape the way an individual experiences the world and interacts with other people. Touch is a key component of social interactions, but surprisingly little is known about how trauma exposure influences the processing of social touch. In this review, we examine possible neurobiological pathways through which trauma can influence touch processing and lead to touch aversion and avoidance in trauma-exposed individuals. Emerging evidence indicates that trauma may affect sensory touch thresholds by modulating activity in the primary sensory cortex and posterior insula. Disturbances in multisensory integration and oxytocin reactivity combined with diminished reward-related and anxiolytic responses may induce a bias towards negative appraisal of touch contexts. Furthermore, hippocampus deactivation during social touch may reflect a dissociative state. These changes depend not only on the type and severity of the trauma but also on the features of the touch. We hypothesise that disrupted touch processing may impair social interactions and confer elevated risk for future stress-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Stevens
- Social Neuroscience, Research Center One Health Ruhr of the University Alliance Ruhr, Faculty of Medicine, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany; Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Faculty of Medicine, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany
| | - Madeleine Bregulla
- Social Neuroscience, Research Center One Health Ruhr of the University Alliance Ruhr, Faculty of Medicine, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany; Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Faculty of Medicine, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany
| | - Dirk Scheele
- Social Neuroscience, Research Center One Health Ruhr of the University Alliance Ruhr, Faculty of Medicine, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany; Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Faculty of Medicine, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany.
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2
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Gamble RS, Henry JD, Decety J, Vanman EJ. The role of external factors in affect-sharing and their neural bases. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 157:105540. [PMID: 38211739 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Affect-sharing, the ability to vicariously feel another person's emotions, is the primary component of empathy that is typically thought to rely on the observer's capacity to feel the emotions of others. However, external signals, such as the target's physical characteristics, have been demonstrated to influence affect-sharing in the neuroscientific literature that speaks to the underappreciated role of external factors in eliciting affect-sharing. We consider factors that influence affect-sharing, including physical cues, emotional cues, situational factors, and observer-target relationships, as well as the neural circuits involved in these processes. Our review reveals that, while neural network activation is primarily responsible for processing affect-sharing, external factors also co-activate a top-down cognitive processing network to modulate the conscious process of affect-sharing. From this knowledge, an integrative framework of external factor interactions with affect-sharing are explained in detail. Finally, we identify critical areas for future research in social and affective neuroscience, including research gaps and incorporation of ecologically valid paradigms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger S Gamble
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072 Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
| | - Julie D Henry
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072 Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Jean Decety
- Department of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Eric J Vanman
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072 Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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3
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Wang J, Yang J, Yang Z, Gao W, Zhang H, Ji K, Klugah-Brown B, Yuan J, Biswal BB. Boosting interpersonal emotion regulation through facial imitation: functional neuroimaging foundations. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhad402. [PMID: 37943770 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad402] [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: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Empathic function, which is primarily manifested by facial imitation, is believed to play a pivotal role in interpersonal emotion regulation for mood reinstatement. To explore this association and its neural substrates, we performed a questionnaire survey (study l) to identify the relationship between empathy and interpersonal emotion regulation; and a task-mode fMRI study (study 2) to explore how facial imitation, as a fundamental component of empathic processes, promotes the interpersonal emotion regulation effect. Study 1 showed that affective empathy was positively correlated with interpersonal emotion regulation. Study 2 showed smaller negative emotions in facial imitation interpersonal emotion regulation (subjects imitated experimenter's smile while followed the interpersonal emotion regulation guidance) than in normal interpersonal emotion regulation (subjects followed the interpersonal emotion regulation guidance) and Watch conditions. Mirror neural system (e.g. inferior frontal gyrus and inferior parietal lobe) and empathy network exhibited greater activations in facial imitation interpersonal emotion regulation compared with normal interpersonal emotion regulation condition. Moreover, facial imitation interpersonal emotion regulation compared with normal interpersonal emotion regulation exhibited increased functional coupling from mirror neural system to empathic and affective networks during interpersonal emotion regulation. Furthermore, the connectivity of the right orbital inferior frontal gyrus-rolandic operculum lobe mediated the association between the accuracy of facial imitation and the interpersonal emotion regulation effect. These results show that the interpersonal emotion regulation effect can be enhanced by the target's facial imitation through increased functional coupling from mirror neural system to empathic and affective neural networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiazheng Wang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Jiemin Yang
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Psychology and Behavior of Discipline Inspection and Supervision, Institute of Brain and Psychological Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Zhenzhen Yang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Wei Gao
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Psychology and Behavior of Discipline Inspection and Supervision, Institute of Brain and Psychological Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - HeMing Zhang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Katherine Ji
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, United States
| | - Benjamin Klugah-Brown
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - JiaJin Yuan
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Psychology and Behavior of Discipline Inspection and Supervision, Institute of Brain and Psychological Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Bharat B Biswal
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610041, China
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, United States
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4
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Tzialla N, Boka V, Menexes G, Kotsanos N, Arapostathis K. Psychometric properties of the Greek version of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy and empathy levels in Greek dental postgraduate students. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent 2023; 24:691-700. [PMID: 37531023 DOI: 10.1007/s40368-023-00826-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The aims of this study were to: (1) examine the psychometric properties of the Greek version of JSE-HP and (2) explore empathy among Greek dental postgraduate students. METHODS The JSE-HP scale was translated into Greek using the back translation method. The questionnaire was given to 111 dental postgraduate students between November 2017 and February 2018. A random sample of 25% was retested to assess test-retest reliability. The reliability of the Greek version of JSE-HP was measured with Cronbach's alpha (α) and Discrimination Indices (DIs). Exploratory Factor Analysis, with varimax rotation of the factorial axes, was used to examine the dimensionality and the factorial validity of the Greek version of the JSE-HP. Comparisons between groups of postgraduate students were performed as appropriate with the Kruskal-Wallis or the Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS The response rate was 100%. The mean age was 28.9 years. The reliability, in the sense of internal consistency of the questionnaire was considered satisfactory (Cronbach's alpha: 0.76, average DI: 0.33.) The test-retest reliability was satisfactory (Pearson's r = 0.77, p < 0.001). Factor Analysis revealed 7 significant factors. No statistically significant differences in empathy scores were found among groups of postgraduate students. CONCLUSIONS The Greek version of the JSE-HP shows good psychometric properties. Empathy scores do not differ among Greek dental postgraduate students.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Tzialla
- Department of Paediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636, Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | - V Boka
- Department of Paediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - G Menexes
- Laboratory of Agronomy, School of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - N Kotsanos
- Department of Paediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - K Arapostathis
- Department of Paediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636, Thessaloniki, Greece
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Guariglia P, Palmiero M, Giannini AM, Piccardi L. The Key Role of Empathy in the Relationship between Age and Social Support. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:2464. [PMID: 37685497 PMCID: PMC10487866 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11172464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Aging involves several changes depending on genetic and behavioral factors, such as lifestyle and the number and quality of social relationships, which in turn can be influenced by empathy. Here, the change in the perceived social support across the lifespan as a function of empathy was investigated, considering the mediating role of empathy after controlling for gender and education. In total, 441 people (18-91 years old) filled in the Italian short version of the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL-12), the Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ6), as well as the Empathy Questionnaire (EQ), and the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test (RMET). The mediation analyses with ISEL-12 showed that age and the EQ fully mediated the relationship between age and appraisal, belonging, and tangible scores. Further, the EQ fully mediated only the relationship between age and SSQ6-People. These results showed that empathic skills are key in the relationships between age and social support. This suggests that empathy can trigger social support and, ultimately, well-being if stimulated across the lifespan, especially from a young age; this would help to form the socio-emotional competence across the years as a sort of cushion that can be useful in the older to fulfill active aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Guariglia
- Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, UKE—Kore University of Enna, 94100 Enna, Italy
| | | | - Anna Maria Giannini
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00158 Rome, Italy; (A.M.G.); (L.P.)
| | - Laura Piccardi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00158 Rome, Italy; (A.M.G.); (L.P.)
- San Raffaele Cassino Hospital, 03043 Cassino, Italy
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6
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Riva F, Pronizius E, Lenger M, Kronbichler M, Silani G, Lamm C. Age-related differences in interference control in the context of a finger-lifting task: an fMRI study. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2023; 18:nsad034. [PMID: 37279968 PMCID: PMC10329405 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsad034] [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: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans tend to automatically imitate others and their actions while also being able to control such imitative tendencies. Interference control, necessary to suppress own imitative tendencies, develops rapidly in childhood and adolescence, plateaus in adulthood and slowly declines with advancing age. It remains to be shown though which neural processes underpin these differences across the lifespan. In a cross-sectional functional magnetic resonance imaging study with three age groups (adolescents (ADs) 14-17 years, young adults (YAs) 21-31, older adults (OAs) 56-76, N = 91 healthy female participants), we investigated the behavioral and neural correlates of interference control in the context of automatic imitation using the finger-lifting task. ADs showed the most efficient interference control, while no significant differences emerged between YAs and OAs, despite OAs showing longer reaction times. On the neural level, all age groups showed engagement of the right temporoparietal junction, right supramarginal gyrus and bilateral insula, aligning well with studies previously using this task. However, our analyses did not reveal any age-related differences in brain activation, neither in these nor in other areas. This suggests that ADs might have a more efficient use of the engaged brain networks and, on the other hand, OAs' capacity for interference control and the associated brain functions might be largely preserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Riva
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1010, Austria
| | - Ekaterina Pronizius
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1010, Austria
| | - Melanie Lenger
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg 5020, Austria
| | - Martin Kronbichler
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg 5020, Austria
- Neuroscience Institute, Christian Doppler Clinic, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg 5020, Austria
| | - Giorgia Silani
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1010, Austria
| | - Claus Lamm
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1010, Austria
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7
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Mwilambwe-Tshilobo L, Setton R, Bzdok D, Turner GR, Spreng RN. Age differences in functional brain networks associated with loneliness and empathy. Netw Neurosci 2023; 7:496-521. [PMID: 37397888 PMCID: PMC10312262 DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Loneliness is associated with differences in resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) within and between large-scale networks in early- and middle-aged adult cohorts. However, age-related changes in associations between sociality and brain function into late adulthood are not well understood. Here, we examined age differences in the association between two dimensions of sociality-loneliness and empathic responding-and RSFC of the cerebral cortex. Self-report measures of loneliness and empathy were inversely related across the entire sample of younger (mean age = 22.6y, n = 128) and older (mean age = 69.0y, n = 92) adults. Using multivariate analyses of multi-echo fMRI RSFC, we identified distinct functional connectivity patterns for individual and age group differences associated with loneliness and empathic responding. Loneliness in young and empathy in both age groups was related to greater visual network integration with association networks (e.g., default, fronto-parietal control). In contrast, loneliness was positively related to within- and between-network integration of association networks for older adults. These results extend our previous findings in early- and middle-aged cohorts, demonstrating that brain systems associated with loneliness, as well as empathy, differ in older age. Further, the findings suggest that these two aspects of social experience engage different neurocognitive processes across human life-span development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laetitia Mwilambwe-Tshilobo
- Montreal Neurological Institute, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Roni Setton
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Danilo Bzdok
- Montreal Neurological Institute, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- School of Computer Science, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Mila–Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Gary R. Turner
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - R. Nathan Spreng
- Montreal Neurological Institute, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, QC, Canada
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8
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Henry JD, Grainger SA, von Hippel W. Determinants of Social Cognitive Aging: Predicting Resilience and Risk. Annu Rev Psychol 2023; 74:167-192. [PMID: 35973407 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-psych-033020-121832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
This review focuses on conceptual and empirical research on determinants of social cognitive aging. We present an integrated model [the social cognitive resource (SCoRe) framework] to organize the literature and describe how social cognitive resilience is determined jointly by capacity and motivational resources. We discuss how neurobiological aging, driven by genetic and environmental influences, is associated with broader sensory, neural, and physiological changes that are direct determinants of capacity as well as indirect determinants of motivation via their influence on expectation of loss versus reward and cognitive effort valuation. Research is reviewed that shows how contextual factors, such as relationship status, familiarity, and practice, are fundamental to understanding the availability of both types of resource. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of social cognitive change in late adulthood for everyday social functioning and with recommendations for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie D Henry
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia; , ,
| | - Sarah A Grainger
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia; , ,
| | - William von Hippel
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia; , ,
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9
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Baez-Lugo S, Deza-Araujo YI, Maradan C, Collette F, Lutz A, Marchant NL, Chételat G, Vuilleumier P, Klimecki O. Exposure to negative socio-emotional events induces sustained alteration of resting-state brain networks in older adults. NATURE AGING 2023; 3:105-120. [PMID: 37118519 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-022-00341-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Basic emotional functions seem well preserved in older adults. However, their reactivity to and recovery from socially negative events remain poorly characterized. To address this, we designed a 'task-rest' paradigm in which 182 participants from two independent experiments underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while exposed to socio-emotional videos. Experiment 1 (N = 55) validated the task in young and older participants and unveiled age-dependent effects on brain activity and connectivity that predominated in resting periods after (rather than during) negative social scenes. Crucially, emotional elicitation potentiated subsequent resting-state connectivity between default mode network and amygdala exclusively in older adults. Experiment 2 replicated these results in a large older adult cohort (N = 127) and additionally showed that emotion-driven changes in posterior default mode network-amygdala connectivity were associated with anxiety, rumination and negative thoughts. These findings uncover the neural dynamics of empathy-related functions in older adults and help understand its relationship to poor social stress recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Baez-Lugo
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Laboratory for Behavioral Neurology and Imaging of Cognition, Department of Neuroscience, Medical School, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Yacila I Deza-Araujo
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Laboratory for Behavioral Neurology and Imaging of Cognition, Department of Neuroscience, Medical School, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Christel Maradan
- Laboratory for Behavioral Neurology and Imaging of Cognition, Department of Neuroscience, Medical School, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Fabienne Collette
- GIGA-CRC In Vivo Imaging Research Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Antoine Lutz
- EDUWELL team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Centre (INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon 1 University), Lyon, France
| | | | - Gaël Chételat
- Université Normandie, Inserm, Université de Caen-Normandie, Inserm UMR-S U1237, GIP Cyceron, Caen, France
| | - Patrik Vuilleumier
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Laboratory for Behavioral Neurology and Imaging of Cognition, Department of Neuroscience, Medical School, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Olga Klimecki
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Dresden, Germany.
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10
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Hori M, Yoshikawa E, Hayama D, Sakamoto S, Okada T, Sakai Y, Fujiwara H, Takayanagi K, Murakami K, Ohnishi J. Sense of Coherence as a Mediator in the Association Between Empathy and Moods in Healthcare Professionals: The Moderating Effect of Age. Front Psychol 2022; 13:847381. [PMID: 35548503 PMCID: PMC9083206 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.847381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
While empathy is considered a critical determinant of the quality of medical care, growing evidence suggests it may be associated with both one’s own positive and negative moods among healthcare professionals. Meanwhile, sense of coherence (SOC) plays an essential role in the improvement of both psychological and physical health. Reportedly, individual SOC reaches full stability after around age 30. The aim of this study was first to evaluate the mediatory role of SOC on the association between empathy and individual moods among 114 healthcare professionals in a general hospital, and then to examine the moderating effect of age on this association. Participants completed a range of self-report demographic questionnaires, Empathy Process Scale (EPS), the 13-item Antonovsky’s SOC, and Profile of Mood States (POMS). Findings showed that SOC mediated the relations between empathy (EPS) and both POMS-Vigor (POMS-V: self-vigor mood) and POMS-Depression (POMS-D: self-depression mood). Notably, moderated mediation analysis revealed that there was a significant interaction (age × SOC) on self-vigor mood (POMS-V) in healthcare professionals. The indirect effect of empathy (EPS) on self-vigor mood (POMS-V) through SOC was significant at over mean age “32.83.” Although there was no significant interaction with age regarding the indirect effect of empathy (EPS) on self-depression mood (POMS-D), in the sub-category level analysis of empathy (EPS), we found a significant interaction item [age × empathy for other’s negative affect (EPS-N)] on SOC. This indirect effect was also significant at over mean age “32.83.” Taken, together, the current study highlighted the significant mediator of SOC on that empathy amplifies self-vigor mood and attenuates self-depression mood as a protective factor among the Japanese healthcare professionals. Some components of these processes may depend on the moderating role of age, indicating that we may need to consider the SOC development with age for more effective empathy performance interventions among healthcare professionals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miyo Hori
- Foundation for Advancement of International Science, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Eisho Yoshikawa
- Department of Medical Psychology, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Neuropsychology, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daichi Hayama
- Faculty of Commerce, Chuo Gakuin University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Shigeko Sakamoto
- Foundation for Advancement of International Science, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Tsuneo Okada
- Department of Rehabilitaion, Tsuchiura Kyodo General Hospital, Tsuchiura, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Sakai
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tsuchiura Kyodo General Hospital, Tsuchiura, Japan
| | | | | | - Kazuo Murakami
- Foundation for Advancement of International Science, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Junji Ohnishi
- Foundation for Advancement of International Science, Tsukuba, Japan.,Department of Food and Nutrition, Tokyo Kasei University, Tokyo, Japan
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11
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Voultsos P, Chatzinikolaou F, Papana A, Deliligka A. Reliability of Greek version of the Toronto empathy questionnaire in medical students and associations with sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. BMC Psychol 2022; 10:113. [PMID: 35501889 PMCID: PMC9063083 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-022-00824-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Empathy is an important key driver of any therapeutic relationship. It is beneficial for both physicians and patients. Enhancing physician's empathy should be an important goal of medical education. As there was a literature gap regarding the topic of empathy among medical students in Greece, this study aimed to contribute to filling this gap. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted. A socio-demographic questionnaire and the 52-item Greek version of the Toronto composite empathy scale (TCES) for measuring the cognitive and emotional aspects of empathy in both personal and professional life was administered to all the medical students in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, in Greece. Descriptive statistics were displayed for demographics. The associations of the variables were quantified by Chi-2 independence tests and Pearson's Correlation Coefficient. The reliability and validity of the questionnaire was determined by Cronbach's α, Hotelling's T-Squared Test, and Pearson correlation. Paired and Independent Sample T-Tests and One-way ANOVAs indicated statistically significant mean differences among the variables or subgroups of the variables. RESULTS The 52-item TCES, 26 for the personal (Per) setting and another 26 for professional (Pro) life, equally divided into cognitive (Cog) and emotional (Emo) empathy in each case. The overall reliability of the TCES questionnaire was found to be high (Cronbach's α = 0.895, significant positive correlations between the subscales). The mean total score of empathy showed that students had a moderately high empathy. Further, there was a statistically significant difference in means between the Per-Cog and Per-Emo settings (p < 0.001), the Pro-Cog and Pro-Emo (p < 0.001), the Per-Cog and Pro-Cog (p = 0.004), and the Per-Emo and Pro-Emo (p < 0.001). Females had significantly higher empathy scores (mean score 208.04) than males (192.5) on the Per-Cog, Per-Emo and Pro-Emo subscales. Furthermore, a positive correlation was found between empathy and factors such as love for animals, interest in medical ethics, belief in God, having an ill person in the family, class year or carrier intention. CONCLUSIONS The TCES is applicable to medical students. For the most part our findings were consistent with previous literature. However, we identified some nuances that might draw researchers' attention. The results of this study may contribute to plan interventions in the curriculum to enhance empathy in the medical students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polychronis Voultsos
- Laboratory of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology (Medical Law and Ethics), School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University, University Campus, 541 24, Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | - Fotios Chatzinikolaou
- Laboratory of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology (Medical Law and Ethics), School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University, University Campus, 541 24, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Angeliki Papana
- Department of Economics, School of Economics and Regional Studies, University of Macedonia, Egnatia Str 156, 546 36, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Aspasia Deliligka
- AHEPA University Hospital, Kiriakidi Str 1, 546 21, Thessaloniki, Greece
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12
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Ziaei M, Oestreich L, Persson J, Reutens DC, Ebner NC. Neural correlates of affective empathy in aging: A multimodal imaging and multivariate approach. NEUROPSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENT, AND COGNITION. SECTION B, AGING, NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 2022; 29:577-598. [PMID: 35156904 DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2022.2036684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Empathy is one such social-cognitive capacity that undergoes age-related change. C urrently, however, not well understood is the structural and functional neurocircuitry underlying age-related differences in empathy. This study aimed to delineate brain structural and functional networks that subserve affective empathic response in younger and older adults using a modified version of the Multifaceted Empathy Task to both positive and negative emotions. Combining multimodal neuroimaging with multivariate partial least square analysis resulted in two novel findings in older but not younger adults: (a) faster empathic responding to negative emotions was related to greater fractional anisotropy of the anterior cingulum and greater functional activity of the anterior cingulate network; (b) however, empathic responding to positive emotions was related to greater fractional anisotropy of the posterior cingulum and greater functional activity of the posterior cingulate network. Such differentiation of structural and functional networks might have critical implications for prosocial behavior and social connections among older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Ziaei
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Jebsen Centre for Alzheimer's Diseases, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Lena Oestreich
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- UQ Centre for Clinical Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Jonas Persson
- Center for Lifespan Developmental Research, School of Law, Psychology and Social Work, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - David C Reutens
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Natalie C Ebner
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, Institute on Aging, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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13
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Riva F, Lenger M, Kronbichler M, Lamm C, Silani G. The role of right supra-marginal gyrus and secondary somatosensory cortex in age-related differences in human emotional egocentricity. Neurobiol Aging 2022; 112:102-110. [PMID: 35104721 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Emotional egocentric bias (EEB) occurs when, due to a partial failure in self-other distinction, empathy for another's emotion is influenced by our own emotional state. Recent studies have revealed a higher EEB in children, adolescents and older adults compared to young adults, but the neural correlates of this finding are largely unknown. We asked female participants (N = 95) from three different age groups (adolescents, young and older adults) to perform a well-validated EEB task in an MRI scanner. We assessed task-based changes in activity and effective connectivity as well as morphometric changes in regions of interest to pinpoint functional and structural age-related differences. Results revealed higher EEB in older compared to young adults and adolescents. Connectivity between right supramarginal gyrus (rSMG) and somatosensory cortices acted as a partial mediator between age and EEB. The findings suggest that an intact connectivity of rSMG, rather than its regional activity, with sensory-perceptual brain areas is crucial for overcoming egocentric biases of empathic judgments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Riva
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Melanie Lenger
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Kapitelgasse 4-6, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 31, Graz, 8036, Austria
| | - Martin Kronbichler
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Kapitelgasse 4-6, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; Neuroscience Institute, Christian Doppler Clinic, Paracelsus Medical University, Strubergasse 21 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Claus Lamm
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Giorgia Silani
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010 Vienna, Austria.
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14
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Nigam R, Kar BR. Conflict monitoring and adaptation to affective stimuli as a function of ageing. Cogn Process 2021; 22:675-690. [PMID: 34212253 DOI: 10.1007/s10339-021-01042-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The current study investigated whether preference for positive affect would be observed in the context of a higher order control process with increasing age given the premise of affective prioritization with ageing. The study examined how affect interacted with cognitive control mechanisms across young, middle-aged and older adults. Conflict monitoring and adaptation for affective stimuli was examined with a face-word Stroop task using happy and fearful facial expressions. The participants' task was to detect the emotional expression (Happy or Fear) of the face shown with a distractor word (Happy or Fear) written across the face. Reaction time and accuracy data was analysed to compare adaptation effect and Stroop interference as a function of age, valence and previous trial congruence. The results demonstrated a stronger adaptation effect for negative affect in young adults and for positive affect in middle-aged adults and older adults. These results can be explained in terms of the socio-emotional selectivity theory of affective bias in the elderly and the involvement of attentional control mechanisms. This study empirically demonstrates shifts in affective bias towards positive affect with ageing through the implicit recruitment of cognitive control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richa Nigam
- Centre of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Allahabad, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, 211002, India
| | - Bhoomika Rastogi Kar
- Centre of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Allahabad, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, 211002, India.
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15
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Ziaei M, Oestreich L, Reutens DC, Ebner NC. Age-related differences in negative cognitive empathy but similarities in positive affective empathy. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 226:1823-1840. [PMID: 34037867 PMCID: PMC8203543 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02291-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Empathy, among other social-cognitive processes, changes across adulthood. More specifically, cognitive components of empathy (understanding another's perspective) appear to decline with age, while findings for affective empathy (sharing another's emotional state) are rather mixed. Structural and functional correlates underlying cognitive and affective empathy in aging and the extent to which valence affects empathic response in brain and behavior are not well understood yet. To fill these research gaps, younger and older adults completed a modified version of the Multifaceted Empathy Test, which measures both cognitive and affective empathy as well as empathic responding to both positive and negative stimuli (i.e., positive vs. negative empathy). Adopting a multimodal imaging approach and applying multivariate analysis, the study found that for cognitive empathy to negative emotions, regions of the salience network including the anterior insula and anterior cingulate were more involved in older than younger adults. For affective empathy to positive emotions, in contrast, younger and older adults recruited a similar brain network including main nodes of the default mode network. Additionally, increased structural microstructure (fractional anisotropy values) of the posterior cingulum bundle (right henisphere) was related to activation of default mode regions during affective empathy for positive emotions in both age groups. These findings provide novel insights into the functional networks subserving cognitive and affective empathy in younger and older adults and highlight the importance of considering valence in empathic response in aging research. Further this study, for the first time, underscores the role of the posterior cingulum bundle in higher-order social-cognitive processes such as empathy, specifically for positive emotions, in aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Ziaei
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
| | - Lena Oestreich
- UQ Centre for Clinical Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - David C Reutens
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Natalie C Ebner
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Florida, USA
- Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, Institute on Aging, University of Florida, Florida, USA
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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16
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Dispositional empathy predicts primary somatosensory cortex activity while receiving touch by a hand. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11294. [PMID: 34050215 PMCID: PMC8163792 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90344-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research revealed an active network of brain areas such as insula and anterior cingulate cortex when witnessing somebody else in pain and feeling empathy. But numerous studies also suggested a role of the somatosensory cortices for state and trait empathy. While recent studies highlight the role of the observer’s primary somatosensory cortex when seeing painful or nonpainful touch, the interaction of somatosensory cortex activity with empathy when receiving touch on the own body is unknown. The current study examines the relationship of touch related somatosensory cortex activity with dispositional empathy by employing an fMRI approach. Participants were touched on the palm of the hand either by the hand of an experimenter or by a rubber hand. We found that the BOLD responses in the primary somatosensory cortex were associated with empathy personality traits personal distress and perspective taking. This relationship was observed when participants were touched both with the experimenter’s real hand or a rubber hand. What is the reason for this link between touch perception and trait empathy? We argue that more empathic individuals may express stronger attention both to other’s human perceptions as well as to the own sensations. In this way, higher dispositional empathy levels might enhance tactile processing by top-down processes. We discuss possible implications of these findings.
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17
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Cruciani G, Zanini L, Russo V, Mirabella M, Palamoutsi EM, Spitoni GF. Strengths and weaknesses of affective touch studies over the lifetime: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 127:1-24. [PMID: 33891971 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 04/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
C-Tactile (CT) fibers are activated by slow, caress-like stimulations, and convey a specific tactile processing of hedonic and interpersonal components, defined as affective touch. Given the beneficial effects deriving from affective tactile experiences in social interactions at all ages, a systematic review of experimental studies on affective touch perception across the lifespan was performed with the aims of 1) examining whether and how affective touch has been studied in a systematic manner throughout the lifespan; 2) verifying whether the pleasantness associated to affective stimulations is found during the entire lifespan. Empirical human studies on affective touch were searched in two databases (PubMed, PsychINFO) and 112 articles were retrieved. Results indicated that most of the studies recruited participants with a mean age ranging from 18 to 40 years, whereas other age ranges came out as under-represented or not represented at all. Despite high heterogeneity across studies, affective touch was considered as a pleasant experience across the lifetime, and it was associated to specific psychophysiological patterns in infants and adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Cruciani
- Department of Psychology, PhD Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, Rome, Italy.
| | - Ludovica Zanini
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via degli Apuli 1, Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Russo
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, Rome, Italy
| | - Martina Mirabella
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via degli Apuli 1, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Grazia Fernanda Spitoni
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via degli Apuli 1, Rome, Italy; Cognitive and Motor Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306-354, Rome, Italy
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18
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Schaefer M, Joch M, Rother N. Feeling Touched: Empathy Is Associated With Performance in a Tactile Acuity Task. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:593425. [PMID: 33633552 PMCID: PMC7900490 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.593425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The concept of empathy describes our capacity to understand the emotions and intentions of others and to relate to our conspecifics. Numerous studies investigated empathy as a state as well as a stable personality trait. For example, recent studies in neuroscience suggest, among other brain areas such as the insula or the ACC, a role of the somatosensory cortices for empathy (e.g., when observing someone else being touched). Since the classic understanding of the primary somatosensory cortex is to represent touch on the body surface, we here aimed to test whether tactile performance is linked to the personality trait empathy. To test this, we examined the tactile acuity of 95 healthy participants (mean age 31 years) by using a two-point discrimination threshold task at the index fingers. Trait empathy was assessed by employing the interpersonal reactivity index (IRI), which measures self-reported empathy with four scales (empathic concern, perspective taking, fantasy, and personal distress). Results of regression analyses suggested the subscale empathic concern to be positively associated with performance in the tactile acuity task. We discuss this finding in the light of recent studies on empathy and consider possible implications of tactile training to enhance empathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Schaefer
- Department Naturwissenschaften, Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marcel Joch
- Department Naturwissenschaften, Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nikolas Rother
- Department Naturwissenschaften, Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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19
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Morese R, Lamm C, Bosco FM, Valentini MC, Silani G. Social support modulates the neural correlates underlying social exclusion. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2020; 14:633-643. [PMID: 31056647 PMCID: PMC6688450 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsz033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Revised: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Ostracism threatens the human need for social interactions, with negative consequences on cognition, affect and behavior. Understanding the mechanisms that can alleviate these consequences has therefore become an important research agenda. In this study, we used behavioral and fMRI measures to advance our understanding how social support can buffer the negative effects of social exclusion. We focused on two different types of support from a friend: emotional support, conveyed by gentle touch and appraisal support, implemented as informative text messages. Seventy-one female participants underwent fMRI scanning while playing a virtual ball-tossing game in the course of which they were excluded. Two consecutive runs of the game were separated according to the participant’s experimental condition (appraisal support, emotional support and no support). Results showed that the experience of social exclusion is modulated by the type of support received. Specifically, emotional support decreased negative emotions and anterior insula activity, while appraisal support increased negative emotions, with concomitant increase of subgenual anterior cingulate cortex and decrease of temporal-parietal junction activity. These divergent effects of social support point to the necessity to characterize whether and under which conditions it represents an effective and positive resource to alleviate the negative consequences of social exclusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosalba Morese
- Faculty of Communication Sciences, Università della Svizzera italiana, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Claus Lamm
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, 1010, Vienna, Austria
| | - Francesca Marina Bosco
- Department of Psychology, research Group on Inferential Processes in Social Interaction - GIPSI, University of Turin, 10124, Turin, Italy.,Neuroscience Institute of Turin, University of Turin, 10124, Turin, Italy
| | - Maria Consuelo Valentini
- Department of Neuroradiology, Hospital-Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - Giorgia Silani
- Department of Applied Psychology: Health, Development, Enhancement and Intervention, University of Vienna, 1010, Vienna, Austria
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20
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Gao Y, Rogers JC, Pauli R, Clanton R, Baker R, Birch P, Ferreira L, Brown A, Freitag CM, Fairchild G, Rotshtein P, De Brito SA. Neural correlates of theory of mind in typically-developing youth: Influence of sex, age and callous-unemotional traits. Sci Rep 2019; 9:16216. [PMID: 31700004 PMCID: PMC6838181 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52261-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Theory of mind (ToM), or the ability to infer and predict the intentions, thoughts and beliefs of others, involves cognitive perspective taking (cognitive ToM/cToM) and understanding emotions (affective ToM/aToM). While behavioral evidence indicates that ToM is influenced by sex and age, no study has examined the influence of these variables on the neural correlates of cToM and aToM in late childhood/adolescence. Using fMRI with 35 typically-developing youths (aged 9-18 years, 12 males), we investigated the influence of sex and age on the neural correlates of cToM and aToM. We also examined how callous-unemotional traits, indexing a lack of empathy, were related to brain responses during aToM. Across both conditions, we found convergent activity in ToM network regions, such as superior temporal sulcus/temporoparietal junction (TPJ) and precuneus across males and females, but males recruited the left TPJ significantly more than females during cToM. During aToM, age was negatively correlated with brain responses in frontal, temporal and posterior midline regions, while callous-unemotional traits were positively correlated with right anterior insula responses. These results provide the first evidence in youth that sex influences the neural correlates of cToM, while age and callous-unemotional traits are specifically related to brain responses during aToM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yidian Gao
- Medical Psychological Institute, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Jack C Rogers
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.,Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Ruth Pauli
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.,Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Roberta Clanton
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.,Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Rosalind Baker
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.,Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Philippa Birch
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.,Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Lisandra Ferreira
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.,Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Abigail Brown
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.,Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Christine M Freitag
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | | | - Pia Rotshtein
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.,Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Stephane A De Brito
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. .,Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
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21
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Hogeveen J, Krueger F, Grafman J. Association between alexithymia and impaired reward valuation in patients with fronto-insular damage. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 21:137-147. [PMID: 31535883 DOI: 10.1037/emo0000676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Humans compute the anticipated reward value of stimuli in their environment in order to behave in an adaptive, goal-directed manner. This reward valuation ability is vital, and its disruption in a range of clinical populations has profound personal and social consequences. However, research has often failed to consider the reward-related functions of a central component of human emotion: conscious emotional experience. Alexithymia-a condition characterized by diminished conscious awareness of one's emotions-offers a unique opportunity to examine the link between emotional awareness and reward valuation. In the present study, we measured both acquired alexithymia and reward valuation ability in a large sample of patients with traumatic brain injuries (N = 112). Behavioral analyses provided evidence for a negative association between alexithymia and reward valuation ability. This association remained significant after controlling for several covariates in the model (anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and IQ). Voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping was carried out to identify brain regions-of-interest (ROIs) that, when damaged, lead to increased alexithymia and impaired reward valuation. Importantly, mediation models computed using the ROIs identified through the voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping revealed a specific indirect effect of left frontoinsular damage on impaired valuation that was mediated by increased levels of alexithymia. This indirect effect was not observed for any of the other candidate ROIs. The present study identifies a network of brain regions likely to be involved in the integration of subjective feelings and reward processes critical for the adaptive control of goal-directed behavior. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
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23
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Beadle JN, de la Vega CE. Impact of Aging on Empathy: Review of Psychological and Neural Mechanisms. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:331. [PMID: 31244684 PMCID: PMC6580149 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Empathy in aging is a key capacity because it affects the quality of older adults' relationships and reduced levels are associated with greater loneliness. Many older adults also find themselves in the role of a caregiver to a loved one, and thus empathy is critical for the success of the caregiver-patient relationship. Furthermore, older adults are motivated to make strong emotional connections with others, as highlighted in the socioemotional selectivity theory. Consequently, reductions in empathy could negatively impact their goals. However, there is growing evidence that older adults experience at least some changes in empathy, depending on the domain. Specifically, the state of the research is that older adults have lower cognitive empathy (i.e., the ability to understand others' thoughts and feelings) than younger adults, but similar and in some cases even higher levels of emotional empathy (i.e., the ability to feel emotions that are similar to others' or feel compassion for them). A small number of studies have examined the neural mechanisms for age-related differences in empathy and have found reduced activity in a key brain area associated with cognitive empathy. However, more research is needed to further characterize how brain changes impact empathy with age, especially in the emotional domain of empathy. In this review, we discuss the current state of the research on age-related differences in the psychological and neural bases of empathy, with a specific comparison of the cognitive versus emotional components. Finally, we highlight new directions for research in this area and examine the implications of age-related differences in empathy for older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janelle N Beadle
- Department of Gerontology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, United States
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24
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Lamm C, Riva F, Silani G. Empathy decline at older age? Aging (Albany NY) 2018; 10:1182-1183. [PMID: 29861412 PMCID: PMC6046233 DOI: 10.18632/aging.101467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Accepted: 06/01/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Claus Lamm
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Federica Riva
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Giorgia Silani
- Department of Applied Psychology: Health, Development, Enhancement and Intervention, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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