1
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Goodhew SC, Edwards M. Individual differences in emotional reactions to bistable perception. J Pers 2024; 92:957-967. [PMID: 37424142 DOI: 10.1111/jopy.12861] [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: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess whether there are individual differences in emotional reactions to bistable images, and if so, to identify some of the psychological factors that predict them. BACKGROUND Bistable images - which have two competing perceptual interpretations - have long been used in the scientific study of consciousness. Here we applied a different lens and investigated emotional reactions to them. Method Participants were adult humans in a cross-sectional study. Participants were presented with three bistable images and rated their emotional reactions to experiencing bistability. They also completed measures of intolerance of uncertainty, cognitive empathy, affective empathy, and negative affect. Results There were marked individual differences in these reactions, ranging from feeling highly negative to highly positive. These individual differences in emotional response to bistability were linked to a number of psychological processes: intolerance of uncertainty, cognitive empathy, and negative affect, but not affective empathy. Conclusions These finding have important implications because: (a) these emotional reactions could distort scientific investigations that use these stimuli to study non-emotional perceptual and cognitive processes; and (b) they highlight that this approach offers a useful window into how individuals react to these stimuli that demonstrate that there is not always a single viable interpretation of the world around us.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie C Goodhew
- School of Medicine and Psychology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Mark Edwards
- School of Medicine and Psychology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
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2
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Ma Y, Zou Y, Liu X, Chen T, Kemp GJ, Gong Q, Wang S. Social intelligence mediates the protective role of resting-state brain activity in the social cognition network against social anxiety. PSYCHORADIOLOGY 2024; 4:kkae009. [PMID: 38799033 PMCID: PMC11119848 DOI: 10.1093/psyrad/kkae009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Background Social intelligence refers to an important psychosocial skill set encompassing an array of abilities, including effective self-expression, understanding of social contexts, and acting wisely in social interactions. While there is ample evidence of its importance in various mental health outcomes, particularly social anxiety, little is known on the brain correlates underlying social intelligence and how it can mitigate social anxiety. Objective This research aims to investigate the functional neural markers of social intelligence and their relations to social anxiety. Methods Data of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and behavioral measures were collected from 231 normal students aged 16 to 20 years (48% male). Whole-brain voxel-wise correlation analysis was conducted to detect the functional brain clusters related to social intelligence. Correlation and mediation analyses explored the potential role of social intelligence in the linkage of resting-state brain activities to social anxiety. Results Social intelligence was correlated with neural activities (assessed as the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations, fALFF) among two key brain clusters in the social cognition networks: negatively correlated in left superior frontal gyrus (SFG) and positively correlated in right middle temporal gyrus. Further, the left SFG fALFF was positively correlated with social anxiety; brain-personality-symptom analysis revealed that this relationship was mediated by social intelligence. Conclusion These results indicate that resting-state activities in the social cognition networks might influence a person's social anxiety via social intelligence: lower left SFG activity → higher social intelligence → lower social anxiety. These may have implication for developing neurobehavioral interventions to mitigate social anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingqiao Ma
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular lmaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuhan Zou
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
| | - Xiqin Liu
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular lmaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Taolin Chen
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular lmaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Graham J Kemp
- Liverpool Magnetic Resonance Imaging Centre (LiMRIC) and Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, United Kingdom
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Department of Radiology, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen, China
| | - Song Wang
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular lmaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
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3
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Petrosini L, Picerni E, Termine A, Fabrizio C, Laricchiuta D, Cutuli D. The Cerebellum as an Embodying Machine. Neuroscientist 2024; 30:229-246. [PMID: 36052895 DOI: 10.1177/10738584221120187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Whereas emotion theorists often keep their distance from the embodied approach, theorists of embodiment tend to treat emotion as a mainly physiologic process. However, intimate links between emotions and the body suggest that emotions are privileged phenomena to attempt to reintegrate mind and body and that the body helps the mind in shaping emotional responses. To date, research has favored the cerebrum over other parts of the brain as a substrate of embodied emotions. However, given the widely demonstrated contribution of the cerebellum to emotional processing, research in affective neuroscience should consider embodiment theory as a useful approach for evaluating the cerebellar role in emotion and affect. The aim of this review is to insert the cerebellum among the structures needed to embody emotions, providing illustrative examples of cerebellar involvement in embodied emotions (as occurring in empathic abilities) and in impaired identification and expression of embodied emotions (as occurring in alexithymia).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Debora Cutuli
- Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychology, University Sapienza of Rome, Rome, Italy
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4
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Ikeda S, Jeong H, Sasaki Y, Sakaki K, Yamazaki S, Nozawa T, Kawashima R. Predicting conversational satisfaction of face-to-face conversation through interpersonal similarity in resting-state functional connectivity. Sci Rep 2024; 14:6015. [PMID: 38472307 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56718-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
When conversing with an unacquainted person, if it goes well, we can obtain much satisfaction (referred to as conversational satisfaction). Can we predict how satisfied dyads will be with face-to-face conversation? To this end, we employed interpersonal similarity in whole-brain resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC), measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging before dyadic conversation. We investigated whether conversational satisfaction could be predicted from interpersonal similarity in RSFC using multivariate pattern analysis. Consequently, prediction was successful, suggesting that interpersonal similarity in RSFC is an effective neural biomarker predicting how much face-to-face conversation goes well. Furthermore, regression coefficients from predictive models suggest that both interpersonal similarity and dissimilarity contribute to good interpersonal relationships in terms of brain activity. The present study provides the potential of an interpersonal similarity approach using RSFC for understanding the foundations of human relationships and new neuroscientific insight into whether success in human interactions is predetermined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigeyuki Ikeda
- Department of Ubiquitous Sensing, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
- RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Hyeonjeong Jeong
- Graduate School of International Cultural Studies, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Yukako Sasaki
- Department of Advanced Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Kohei Sakaki
- Department of Advanced Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Shohei Yamazaki
- Department of Human Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Takayuki Nozawa
- Research Institute for the Earth Inclusive Sensing, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryuta Kawashima
- Department of Ubiquitous Sensing, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- Department of Advanced Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
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5
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Abrams G, Jayashankar A, Kilroy E, Butera C, Harrison L, Ring P, Houssain A, Nalbach A, Cermak SA, Aziz-Zadeh L. Differences in Praxis Errors in Autism Spectrum Disorder Compared to Developmental Coordination Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2024; 54:1113-1129. [PMID: 36515853 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05858-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to better understand how autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and developmental coordination disorder (DCD) differ in types of praxis errors made on the Florida Apraxia Battery Modified (FAB-M) and the potential relationships between praxis errors and social deficits in ASD. The ASD group made significantly more timing sequencing errors in imitation of meaningful gestures, as well as more body-part-for-tool errors during gesture-to-command compared to the other two groups. In the ASD group, increased temporal errors in meaningful imitation were significantly correlated with poorer affect recognition and less repetitive behaviors. Thus, in ASD, aspects of imitation ability are related to socioemotional skills and repetitive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Abrams
- Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, 3620A McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
- Mrs. T. H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, 1540 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Aditya Jayashankar
- Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, 3620A McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
- Mrs. T. H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, 1540 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Emily Kilroy
- Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, 3620A McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
- Mrs. T. H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, 1540 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Christiana Butera
- Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, 3620A McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
- Mrs. T. H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, 1540 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Laura Harrison
- Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, 3620A McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
- Mrs. T. H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, 1540 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Priscilla Ring
- Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, 3620A McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
- Mrs. T. H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, 1540 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Anusha Houssain
- Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, 3620A McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
- Mrs. T. H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, 1540 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Alexis Nalbach
- Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, 3620A McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
- Mrs. T. H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, 1540 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Sharon A Cermak
- Mrs. T. H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, 1540 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Lisa Aziz-Zadeh
- Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, 3620A McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
- Mrs. T. H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, 1540 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
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6
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Li X, Peng C, Qin F, Luo Q, Ren Z, Wang X, Feng Q, Liu C, Li Y, Wei D, Qiu J. Basolateral Amygdala Functional Connectivity in Alexithymia: Linking Interoceptive Sensibility and Cognitive Empathy. Neuroscience 2024; 539:12-20. [PMID: 38176608 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.12.014] [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: 09/02/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Emotions rely on bodily states, and perceiving the emotions of others depends on awareness of one's own emotional state. However, the intercorrelations among interoception, alexithymia, and empathy are not well understood, and the neural mechanisms behind this connection are also largely unknown. To address these issues, 297 college students participated in this study, completing measures of interoceptive sensibility (IS), empathy and alexithymia and undergoing resting-state fMRI scans. The functional connectivity of the amygdala was analysed to identify the neural substrates of alexithymia, and mediation analyses were conducted to examine the mediation effect of alexithymia and alexithymia-specific amygdala functional connectivity on the relationship between IS and empathy. The results showed that higher levels of IS were associated with increased cognitive empathy through weakened alexithymia. Functional connectivity analysis indicated that right basolateral amygdala (BLA)-left precuneus connectivity was negatively related to alexithymia, while right BLA-left precentral gyrus connectivity was positively related to alexithymia. Furthermore, right BLA-left precuneus connectivity was found to mediate the impact of interoception on cognitive empathy. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the relationships among IS, alexithymia, and empathy. The right BLA-left precuneus connectivity may serve as a shared neural substrate between interoception and cognitive empathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianrui Li
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Chuyao Peng
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Facai Qin
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Qian Luo
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Zhiting Ren
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xueyang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Qiuyang Feng
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Cheng Liu
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yang Li
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Dongtao Wei
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing 400715, China.
| | - Jiang Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing 400715, China; Southwest University Branch, Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment, Toward Basic Education Quality at Beijing Normal University, China.
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7
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Ye Q, Liu Y, Zhang S, Ni K, Fu S, Dou W, Wei W, Li BM, Preece DA, Cai XL. Cross-cultural adaptation and clinical application of the Perth Empathy Scale. J Clin Psychol 2024. [PMID: 38236207 DOI: 10.1002/jclp.23643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Alterations of empathy have been observed in patients with various mental disorders. The Perth Empathy Scale (PES) was recently developed to measure a multidimensional construct of empathy across positive and negative emotions. However, its psychometric properties and clinical applications have not been examined in the Chinese context. METHODS The Chinese version of the PES was developed and administered to a large Chinese sample (n = 1090). Factor structure, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent, discriminant, as well as concurrent validity were examined. Moreover, 50 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 50 healthy controls were recruited to explore the clinical utility of the PES. RESULTS Confirmatory factor analyses supported a theoretically congruent three-factor structure of empathy, namely Cognitive Empathy, Negative Affective Empathy and Positive Affective Empathy. The PES showed good to excellent internal consistency reliability, good convergent and discriminant validity, acceptable concurrent validity, and moderate to high test-retest reliability. Patients with MDD had significantly lower PES scores compared to healthy controls. Linear discriminant function comprised of the three factors correctly differentiated 71% of participants, which further verified the clinical utility of the PES. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicated that the Chinese version of the PES is a reliable and valid instrument to measure cognitive and affective empathy across negative and positive emotions, and could therefore be used in both research and clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingying Ye
- Institute of Brain Science and Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Institute of Brain Science and Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Siyu Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Jing Hengyi School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ke Ni
- Qiqihar Mental Health Center, Qiqihar, China
| | - Sufen Fu
- Department of Psychology, Jing Hengyi School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wenjie Dou
- Institute of Brain Science and Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wei Wei
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bao-Ming Li
- Institute of Brain Science and Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory for Research in Early Development and Childcare, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - David A Preece
- School of Population Health and Curtin enAble Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
- School of Psychological Science, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Xin-Lu Cai
- Institute of Brain Science and Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory for Research in Early Development and Childcare, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
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8
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Shao M, Li L, Li X, Wei Z, Wang J, Hong M, Liu X, Meng J. The effect of top-down attention on empathy fatigue. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhad441. [PMID: 37991273 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad441] [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: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Prolonged exposure to others' suffering can lead to empathy fatigue, especially when individuals struggle to effectively regulate their empathic capacity. Shifting active attention away from emotional components toward cognitive components of others' suffering is an effective strategy for mitigating empathy fatigue. This research investigated how top-down attentional manipulation modulates empathy fatigue in both auditory (Study 1) and visual (Study 2) modalities. Participants completed two tasks in both studies: (i) the attention to cognitive empathy task (A-C task) and (ii) the attention to emotional empathy task (A-E task). Each task included three blocks (Time Block 1, Time Block 2, and Time Block 3) designed to induce empathy fatigue. Study 1 revealed that the A-C task reduced empathy fatigue and N1 amplitudes than the A-E task in Time Block 3, indicating that attention to cognitive empathy might decrease auditory empathy fatigue. Study 2 indicates that the A-C task caused a longer N2 latency than the A-E task, signifying a decelerated emotional empathic response when attention was on cognitive empathy in the visual modality. Overall, prioritizing cognitive empathy seems to conserve mental resources and reduce empathy fatigue. This research documented the relationship between top-down attention and empathy fatigue and the possible neural mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Shao
- Research Center for Brain and Cognitive Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, China
- Key Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Lingxiao Li
- Research Center for Brain and Cognitive Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, China
- Key Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Xiong Li
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Zilong Wei
- Research Center for Brain and Cognitive Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, China
- Key Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Junyao Wang
- Research Center for Brain and Cognitive Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, China
- Key Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Mingyu Hong
- Research Center for Brain and Cognitive Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, China
- Key Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Xiaocui Liu
- Research Center for Brain and Cognitive Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, China
- Key Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Jing Meng
- Research Center for Brain and Cognitive Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, China
- Key Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, China
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9
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Xue S, Kong F, Song Y, Liu J. Neural correlates of social interaction anxiety and their relation to emotional intelligence: A resting-state fMRI study. Neurosci Lett 2024; 818:137475. [PMID: 37717816 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2023.137475] [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: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Social interaction anxiety refers to a state of anxiety resulting from the prospect or presence of interpersonal evaluation in real or imagined social settings. Previous neuroimaging studies have revealed neural basis of social anxiety disorder. However, little is known about the neural correlates of individual differences in social interaction anxiety in nonclinical population. In the present study, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to explore the relationship between individual's spontaneous neural activity and social interaction anxiety, and the role that emotional intelligence played in the relationship. To this end, the correlation between the regional fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) of the brain and individuals' social interaction anxiety scores was examined. We found that social interaction anxiety was correlated with the fALFF in the insula, parahippocampal gyrus, bilateral superior temporal gyrus, and superior parietal lobule. Furthermore, we also found that emotional intelligence partially mediated the association between the fALFF in these regions and social interaction anxiety. Taken together, our study provided the first evidence for the spontaneous neural basis of social interaction anxiety in normal population, and highlighted the neural substrates through which emotional intelligence might play an important role in social interaction anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Xue
- School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Feng Kong
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yiying Song
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Jia Liu
- School of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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10
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Li Q, Zhang X, Yang X, Pan N, He M, Suo X, Li X, Gong Q, Wang S. Pre-COVID resting-state brain activity in the fusiform gyrus prospectively predicts social anxiety alterations during the pandemic. J Affect Disord 2024; 344:380-388. [PMID: 37838273 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.10.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social anxiety (SA) has been linked to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, but the neurobiopsychological mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the neurofunctional markers for COVID-induced SA development and the potential role of COVID-related posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in the brain-SA alterations link. METHODS Before the COVID-19 pandemic (T1), 100 general college students underwent resting-state magnetic resonance imaging and behavioral tests. During the period of community-level outbreaks (T2), these students were re-contacted to undergo follow-up behavioral assessments. RESULTS Whole-brain correlation and prediction analyses found that pre-pandemic spontaneous neural activity (measured by fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations) in the right fusiform gyrus (FG) was positively correlated to SA alterations (T2 - T1). Mediation analyses revealed that COVID-specific PTSS mediated the effects of right FG on SA alterations. LIMITATIONS The results should be interpreted carefully because only one-session neuroimaging data in a sample of normal adults were included. CONCLUSIONS The results provide evidence for neurofunctional markers of COVID-induced SA and may help develop targeted brain-based interventions that reduce SA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingyuan Li
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China; Department of Interventional Therapy, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xun Zhang
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Xun Yang
- School of Public Affairs, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Nanfang Pan
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Min He
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Xueling Suo
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiao Li
- Department of Interventional Therapy, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China; Department of Radiology, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen, China.
| | - Song Wang
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China.
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11
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Jin J, Ikeda H. The Role of Empathic Communication in the Relationship between Servant Leadership and Workplace Loneliness: A Serial Mediation Model. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 14:4. [PMID: 38275346 PMCID: PMC10812758 DOI: 10.3390/bs14010004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Researchers have increasingly concentrated on loneliness in the workplace as a crucial factor influencing the mental health of employees and the viability of telework. In contrast, the current understanding of the strategies mitigating workplace loneliness and how leaders utilize their behaviors to impact followers' loneliness remains limited. Since servant leadership values the emotional needs of followers and displays a high level of empathy, this study investigated the direct and indirect effects of servant leadership on workplace loneliness. In this study, 267 employees (mean age = 31.5 years) from 28 provinces in China were recruited to participate in this survey. We proposed that servant leaders motivate their own empathic communication and other followers' empathic communication to reduce lonely followers' workplace loneliness. This research further examined the relationship between the leader's and colleagues' empathic communication, and the two jointly mediate the connection between servant leadership and followers' workplace loneliness. We constructed a serial mediation model to examine the relationships between servant leadership, leader's empathic communication, colleagues' empathic communication, and workplace loneliness. The results indicate that servant leadership creates a cycle of empathy and provides insights into building a culture of empathy to improve employee well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaying Jin
- Graduate School of Human-Environment Studies, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 8190382, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Ikeda
- Faculty of Human-Environment Studies, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 8190382, Japan
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12
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Zhang X, Cheng B, Yang X, Suo X, Pan N, Chen T, Wang S, Gong Q. Emotional intelligence mediates the protective role of the orbitofrontal cortex spontaneous activity measured by fALFF against depressive and anxious symptoms in late adolescence. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2023; 32:1957-1967. [PMID: 35737106 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-022-02020-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
As a stable personality construct, trait emotional intelligence (TEI) refers to a battery of perceived emotion-related skills that make individuals behave effectively to adapt to the environment and maintain well-being. Abundant evidence has consistently shown that TEI is important for the outcomes of many mental health issues, particularly depression and anxiety. However, the neural substrates involved in TEI and the underlying neurobehavioral mechanism of how TEI reduces depression and anxiety symptoms remain largely unknown. Herein, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and a group of behavioral measures were applied to examine these questions among a large sample comprising 231 general adolescent students aged 16-20 years (52% female). Whole-brain correlation analysis and prediction analysis demonstrated that TEI was negatively linked with spontaneous activity (measured with the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations) in the bilateral medial orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), a critical site implicated in emotion-related processes. Furthermore, structural equation modeling analysis found that TEI mediated the link of OFC spontaneous activity to depressive and anxious symptoms. Collectively, the current findings present new evidence for the neurofunctional bases of TEI and suggest a potential "brain-personality-symptom" pathway for alleviating depressive and anxious symptoms among students in late adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xun Zhang
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
- Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Bochao Cheng
- Department of Radiology, West China Second University Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xun Yang
- School of Public Affairs, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xueling Suo
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
- Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Nanfang Pan
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
- Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Taolin Chen
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
- Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Song Wang
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China.
- Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
- Department of Radiology, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen, China.
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13
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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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14
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Liu X, Zhao Y, Suo X, Zhang X, Pan N, Kemp GJ, Gong Q, Wang S. Psychological resilience mediates the protective role of default-mode network functional connectivity against COVID-19 vicarious traumatization. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:231. [PMID: 37380702 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02525-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Vicarious traumatization (VT), a negative reaction to witnessing others' trauma, has been experienced by some people during the COVID-19 pandemic, and can lead to mental health problems. This study aimed to identify functional brain markers of COVID-specific VT and explore the psychological mechanism underlying the brain-VT link. One hundred healthy participants underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging before the pandemic (October 2019-January 2020) and completed VT measurement during the pandemic (February-April 2020). Whole-brain correlation analysis based on global functional connectivity density (FCD) mapping revealed that VT was negatively correlated with FCD in the right inferior temporal gyrus (ITG) (i.e., the lower FCD in ITG, the worse the VT), identified by mapping onto known large-scale networks as part of the default-mode network (DMN). Resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) analysis using ITG as seed found that VT was predicted by lower functional connectivity between ITG and other DMN regions including left medial prefrontal cortex, left orbitofrontal cortex, right superior frontal gyrus, right inferior parietal lobule and bilateral precuneus (i.e., the lower the ITG-DMN connectivity, the worse the VT). Mediation analyses suggested that psychological resilience served as a mediator in these associations of ITG FCD and ITG-DMN RSFC with VT. Our results provide novel evidence on the brain basis of VT and emphasize psychological resilience as an important link from DMN functional connectivity to COVID-specific-VT. This may facilitate public health interventions by helping identify individuals at risk of stress- and trauma-related psychopathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiqin Liu
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yajun Zhao
- School of Education and Psychology, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xueling Suo
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xun Zhang
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Nanfang Pan
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Graham J Kemp
- Liverpool Magnetic Resonance Imaging Centre (LiMRIC) and Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Song Wang
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
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15
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Wang S, Zhao Y, Li J. True grit and brain: Trait grit mediates the connection of DLPFC functional connectivity density to posttraumatic growth following COVID-19. J Affect Disord 2023; 325:313-320. [PMID: 36627056 PMCID: PMC9824952 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is increasing interest in identifying factors to predict posttraumatic growth (PTG), a positive psychological response following traumatic events (e.g., the COVID-19 pandemic). Grit, a psychological trait of perseverance and passion to pursue long-term goals, has emerged as a promising predictor for PTG. This study aimed to examine the functional connectivity markers of grit and the potential brain-grit mechanism in predicting PTG. METHODS Baseline brain imaging scans and grit scale and other controlling measures were administered in 100 normal young adults before the COVID-19 pandemic, and follow-up PTG measurement was obtained during the period of community-level outbreak. Whole-brain correlation analysis and prediction analysis were used to identify the brain regions whose functional connectivity density (FCD) related to individuals' grit scores. Mediation analyses were performed to explore the mediation relation between FCD, grit and PTG. RESULTS Grit was positively related to FCD in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a core hub implicated in self-regulation and reward-motivation processes. Furthermore, grit mediated the effect of right DLPFC FCD on COVID-related PTG. These results survived controlling for self-control and family socioeconomic status. LIMITATIONS Our study is limited by only one-session neuroimaging data and self-reported behavioral measures in a sample of normal adults. CONCLUSIONS This study indicates grit and right DLPFC FCD as neuropsychological contributors for the development of PTG. It deepens our understanding of the neural bases of grit, and may have clinical potential to develop targeted brain interventions aimed at improving grit to raise PTG and mental health during the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Wang
- College of Teacher Education, Dali University, Dali, China; West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
| | - Yajun Zhao
- School of Education and Psychology, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jingguang Li
- College of Teacher Education, Dali University, Dali, China.
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16
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Granjon M, Doignon-Camus N, Popa-Roch M, Rohmer O. Neural empathic response to disability: An ERP study of prejudice. Biol Psychol 2023; 177:108507. [PMID: 36706863 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108507] [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: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
While social neuroscience has already provided evidence for a deficit of affective empathy in racial prejudice, little is known about other less visible social categories when considered as an outgroup. We studied the process of empathy through event-related brain potentials (ERPs). We focused on the group "people with disabilities" as they are the target of a large amount of prejudice. Twenty-six participants performed a pain decision task. The mean amplitudes of N1, P2, N2-N3 and P3 components were recorded. Our results are consistent with previous work on prejudice, showing that the pain detection is modulated by group membership (with disabilities vs. without disabilities) on N2-N3, suggesting a better neural decoding of pain vs. non-pain in the without-disability condition. Critically, no effect of early sensory components (N1, P2) was found, and P3 was not moderated by disability. These findings indicate a different time course of empathic responses depending on the condition, suggesting that people with disabilities trigger specific empathic responses. Our results contribute to disentangling perceptual processes from affective empathy reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Granjon
- University of Strasbourg, Laboratoire de Psychologie des Cognitions, France.
| | - Nadège Doignon-Camus
- University of Strasbourg, Laboratoire Interuniversitaire des Sciences de l'Education et de la Communication, France
| | - Maria Popa-Roch
- University of Strasbourg, Laboratoire Interuniversitaire des Sciences de l'Education et de la Communication, France
| | - Odile Rohmer
- University of Strasbourg, Laboratoire de Psychologie des Cognitions, France
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17
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Zhou H, He Y, Yuan Z, Zhou Y, Yin J, Chark R, Fong DKC, Fong LHN, Wu AMS. Altered hierarchical organization between empathy and gambling networks in disordered gamblers. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1083465. [PMID: 36846215 PMCID: PMC9947716 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1083465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the demonstrated association between empathy and gambling at the behavioral level, limited neuroimaging research on empathy and gambling disorder (GD) has been conducted. Whether and how the brain network of empathy and that of gambling interact in disordered gamblers has not been investigated. This study aimed to address this research gap by examining the hierarchical organizational patterns, in which the differences of causal interactions of these networks between disordered gamblers and healthy controls were revealed. METHODS Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data of 32 disordered gamblers and 56 healthy controls were included in the formal analysis. Dynamic causal modeling was used to examine the effective connectivity within and between empathy and gambling networks among all participants. RESULTS All participants showed significant effective connectivity within and between empathy and gambling networks. However, compared with healthy controls, disordered gamblers displayed more excitatory effective connectivity within the gambling network, the tendency to display more excitatory effective connectivity from the empathy network to the gambling network, and reduced inhibitory effective connectivity from the gambling network to the empathy network. CONCLUSION The exploratory study was the first to examine the effective connectivity within and between empathy and gambling networks among disordered gamblers and healthy controls. These results provided insights into the causal relationship between empathy and gambling from the neuroscientific perspective and further confirmed that disordered gamblers show altered effective connectivity within and between these two brain networks, which may be considered to be a potential neural index for GD identification. In addition, the altered interactions between empathy and gambling networks may also indicate the potential targets for the neuro-stimulation intervention approach (e.g., transcranial magnetic stimulation).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zhou
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, Macao SAR, China.,Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Institute of Collaborative Innovation, University of Macau, Macao, Macao SAR, China
| | - Yuwen He
- Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Institute of Collaborative Innovation, University of Macau, Macao, Macao SAR, China.,Bioimaging Core, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, Macao SAR, China
| | - Zhen Yuan
- Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Institute of Collaborative Innovation, University of Macau, Macao, Macao SAR, China.,Bioimaging Core, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, Macao SAR, China
| | - Yuan Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jingwen Yin
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, Macao SAR, China.,Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Institute of Collaborative Innovation, University of Macau, Macao, Macao SAR, China
| | - Robin Chark
- Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Institute of Collaborative Innovation, University of Macau, Macao, Macao SAR, China.,Department of Integrated Resort and Tourism Management, Faculty of Business Administration, University of Macau, Macao, Macao SAR, China
| | - Davis Ka Chio Fong
- Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Institute of Collaborative Innovation, University of Macau, Macao, Macao SAR, China.,Department of Integrated Resort and Tourism Management, Faculty of Business Administration, University of Macau, Macao, Macao SAR, China
| | - Lawrence Hoc Nang Fong
- Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Institute of Collaborative Innovation, University of Macau, Macao, Macao SAR, China.,Department of Integrated Resort and Tourism Management, Faculty of Business Administration, University of Macau, Macao, Macao SAR, China
| | - Anise M S Wu
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, Macao SAR, China.,Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Institute of Collaborative Innovation, University of Macau, Macao, Macao SAR, China
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18
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Oliveira-Silva P, Maia L, Coutinho J, Moreno AF, Penalba L, Frank B, Soares JM, Sampaio A, Gonçalves ÓF. Nodes of the default mode network implicated in the quality of empathic responses: A clinical perspective of the empathic response. Int J Clin Health Psychol 2023; 23:100319. [PMID: 36168601 PMCID: PMC9485908 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2022.100319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia Oliveira-Silva
- HNL - Human Neurobehavioral Laboratory, CEDH – Research Centre for Human Development, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Porto, Portugal
- Corresponding author.
| | - Liliana Maia
- Neuropsychophysiology Lab, CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Joana Coutinho
- Neuropsychophysiology Lab, CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Ana Filipa Moreno
- HNL - Human Neurobehavioral Laboratory, CEDH – Research Centre for Human Development, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Porto, Portugal
| | - Lucia Penalba
- HNL - Human Neurobehavioral Laboratory, CEDH – Research Centre for Human Development, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Porto, Portugal
| | | | - José Miguel Soares
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, ICVS, University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal, Portugal
| | - Adriana Sampaio
- Neuropsychophysiology Lab, CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Óscar F. Gonçalves
- Proaction Lab, CINEICC – Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
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19
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Iannuzzo F, Genovese G, Lombardo C, Infortuna C, De Stefano R, Mento C, Muscatello MRA, Bruno A. Autistic Traits, Arousal, and Gender Features in a Nonclinical Sample of Italian Adolescents. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 20:693. [PMID: 36613013 PMCID: PMC9819561 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20010693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
(1) Background: Subthreshold autism is a sub-clinical pattern of autism spectrum disorder-like (ASD-like) traits, including poor social skills, cognitive rigidity, anxiety, and aloofness. These ASD-like traits are significantly more prevalent among parents and relatives of participants with autism; however, evidence suggests that subclinical autistic traits are not restricted to the family members of individuals with autism but rather are continuously distributed in the general population. Though the autistic subclinical form is perhaps prevalent among adults, little attention has been paid to the association between autistic traits and global functioning in adolescence. The aim of the present study is to investigate the subthreshold autism phenotype in adolescence and its relationship with arousal correlates, exploring gender differences emerging in the sample. (2) Methods: A sample of 725 students (293 males and 432 females; mean age 17.19) were recruited from three high schools in Southern Italy. They were assessed by the following instruments: Autism Spectrum Quotient, Adult Autism Subthreshold Spectrum, Ritvo Autism and Asperger Diagnostic Scale 14, and Hyperarousal Scale. (3) Results: In males, significant direct correlations between all dimensions of arousal and all variables related to autistic traits emerged except for the correlations between the H-Scale "Introspection score", the AQ questionnaire "Total score" (p = 0.094), and the AdAS-Spectrum questionnaire "Empathy factor" (p = 0.210); in females, significant positive correlations between all dimensions of arousal and all variables related to autistic traits emerged. (4) Conclusions: In the sample of adolescents with subclinical profiles of autistic traits, the Empathy factor of the AdAS Spectrum questionnaire was significantly higher in the male group than in the female group, underscoring lower empathic abilities in the former group. In the male group, the empathy factor did not have a statistically significant correlation with the H-scale introspection factor or with the autistic traits measured by AQ. We suppose that in male adolescents, another hypothetical factor seems to intervene in the relationship between autistic traits and arousal. Otherwise, empathy is a preponderant factor closely related to hyper-arousal responses in female adolescents with autistic traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiammetta Iannuzzo
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, Contesse, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Giovanni Genovese
- Psychiatry Unit, Polyclinic Hospital University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, Contesse, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Clara Lombardo
- Psychiatry Unit, Polyclinic Hospital University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, Contesse, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Carmenrita Infortuna
- Psychiatry Unit, Polyclinic Hospital University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, Contesse, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Rosa De Stefano
- Psychiatry Unit, Polyclinic Hospital University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, Contesse, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Carmela Mento
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, Contesse, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Maria Rosaria Anna Muscatello
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, Contesse, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Antonio Bruno
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, Contesse, 98125 Messina, Italy
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20
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Dorris L, Young D, Barlow J, Byrne K, Hoyle R. Cognitive empathy across the lifespan. Dev Med Child Neurol 2022; 64:1524-1531. [PMID: 35594529 PMCID: PMC9790591 DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.15263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
AIM To describe the development of cognitive empathy across the lifespan from a very large cohort using a standardized measure of cognitive empathy ability. METHOD Participants (n=4545, age bands <5y to >75y, 60% female) were a convenience sample recruited voluntarily from visitors to the Glasgow Science Centre in the UK, who completed the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test. RESULTS When compared to preceding age groups, we found significant developmental gains in empathy ability in children aged 6 to 7 years (p=0.048, d=0.45) and again at 10 to 12 years (p=0.042, d=0.23), followed by a slight reduction in ability during adolescence (p=0.087, d=-0.18), and functional maturity in those aged 19 to 25 years (p=0.001, d=0.76). Cognitive empathy abilities remained relatively stable across adulthood but gradually declined in people over 65 years, with notable decline in males over 75 years (p=0.001, d=-0.98). Females performed better than males at all ages. INTERPRETATION Understanding developmental issues in cognitive empathy could influence approaches to moral and social education for children, and health and social care support for older people. Standardized cognitive empathy tests could also provide novel approaches in the early detection of developmental vulnerabilities in a range of neurological conditions, and within neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders in which cognitive empathy is known to be impaired. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS Cognitive empathy is a late-developing ability and changes across the lifespan. Cognitive empathy increases during childhood but with potentially altered abilities during adolescence. Cognitive empathy matures during early adulthood and gradually declines in older age. There is a female advantage in cognitive empathy abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam Dorris
- Paediatric Neurosciences Research GroupRoyal Hospital for ChildrenGlasgow,Institute of Health & Wellbeing, Medical Veterinary & Life SciencesUniversity of GlasgowGlasgow
| | - David Young
- Department of Mathematics and StatisticsUniversity of StrathclydeGlasgow
| | - Jill Barlow
- Department of Mathematics and StatisticsUniversity of StrathclydeGlasgow
| | - Karl Byrne
- Glasgow Science Centre, Pacific QuayGlasgowUK
| | - Robin Hoyle
- Glasgow Science Centre, Pacific QuayGlasgowUK
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21
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Bray KO, Pozzi E, Vijayakumar N, Richmond S, Seal M, Pantelis C, Anderson V, Whittle S. Empathy and resting-state functional connectivity in children. NEUROIMAGE: REPORTS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ynirp.2022.100142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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22
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Niikuni K, Wang M, Makuuchi M, Koizumi M, Kiyama S. Pupil Dilation Reflects Emotional Arousal Via Poetic Language. Percept Mot Skills 2022; 129:1691-1708. [PMID: 36151717 PMCID: PMC9947723 DOI: 10.1177/00315125221126778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
We investigated pupillary responses to the world's shortest fixed verses, Japanese haiku as aesthetic poetry (AP) and senryu as comic poetry (CP), in comparison with non-poetry control stimuli (NP) comprised of slogans that had the same rhythm patterns. Native Japanese speakers without literary training listened to these stimuli while we recorded their pupil diameters. We found that participants' pupils were significantly dilated for CP compared to NP in an early time window. While AP also evoked larger dilations than NP, the latency for AP-related pupil dilation was relatively long. Thus, lay people experience quick and intense arousal in response to funny and humorous words, while aesthetic properties of words may also elicit intense but slower changes in listeners' arousal levels, presumably because they evoke more implicit and subtle emotional effects. This study is the first to provide evidence that poetic language elicits human pupillary dilation. A better understanding of the cognitive and neural substrates for the sensitive awareness of pleasures expressed via poetic language will provide insights for improving mental and physical health. Hence, pupillometry can act as a useful convenient measurement to delineate the sympathetic activation of emotional contexts via language.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiyu Niikuni
- Department of Clinical
Psychology, Niigata Seiryo
University, Niigata, Japan,Keiyu Niikuni, Department of Clinical
Psychology, Niigata Seiryo University, 1-5939 Suidocho, Chuo-ku, Niigata
951-8121, Japan.
| | - Ming Wang
- Department of
Linguistics, Graduate School of Arts and
Letters, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Michiru Makuuchi
- Section of
Neuropsychology, National Rehabilitation Center for
Persons with Disabilities, Tokorozawa, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Koizumi
- Department of
Linguistics, Graduate School of Arts and
Letters, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan,National Institute for Japanese
Language and Linguistics, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sachiko Kiyama
- Department of
Linguistics, Graduate School of Arts and
Letters, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
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23
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Sharratt K, Nanfuka E, Mason SJ, Ochen E, Turyomurugyendo F, Barwick M, Pearson J, Royston H, Wager N. Evaluation of a serious gaming intervention to prevent child marriage in Uganda. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2022.107627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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24
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Winters DE, Hyde LW. Associated functional network connectivity between callous-unemotionality and cognitive and affective empathy. J Affect Disord 2022; 318:304-313. [PMID: 36063973 PMCID: PMC10039983 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.08.103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Low empathy is one component of affective impairments defining the antisocial youth phenotype callous-unemotional (CU) traits. Research suggests CU traits may be negatively associated with neural networks that are positively associated with cognitive and affective empathy - specifically the default mode (DMN), frontoparietal (FPN), and salience (SAL) networks. Determining which functional network connections are shared between CU traits and empathy could elucidate the extent to which CU traits shares neural substrates with cognitive versus affective empathy. The present study tested whether CU traits and both cognitive and affective empathy share network connections within and between the DMN, FPN, and SAL. METHODS Participants (n = 112, aged 13-17, 43 % female) completed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and self-reports for CU traits and empathy as part of a Nathan-Kline Institute study. RESULTS Analyses revealed inverse associations with shared network connections between CU traits and both cognitive and affective empathy. Specifically, within-DMN connectivity negatively associated with CU traits, but positively associated with cognitive empathy; and between DMN-SAL connectivity positively associated with CU traits, but negatively associated with both cognitive and affective empathy. However, joint models revealed little variance explained by CU traits and empathy overlapped. LIMITATIONS The sample was cross-sectional collection with limited participants (n = 112) from the community that may not generalize to incarcerated adolescents. CONCLUSIONS Results demonstrate CU traits inversely associated with similar connectivity patterns as cognitive and affective empathy though prediction among constructs did not significantly overlap. Further investigation of these connections can inform a mechanistic understanding of empathy impairments in CU traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drew E Winters
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States of America.
| | - Luke W Hyde
- Department of Psychology and Survey Research Center at the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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25
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Weiß M, Iotzov V, Zhou Y, Hein G. The bright and dark sides of egoism. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:1054065. [PMID: 36506436 PMCID: PMC9729783 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1054065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite its negative reputation, egoism - the excessive concern for one's own welfare - can incite prosocial behavior. So far, however, egoism-based prosociality has received little attention. Here, we first provide an overview of the conditions under which egoism turns into a prosocial motive, review the benefits and limitations of egoism-based prosociality, and compare them with empathy-driven prosocial behavior. Second, we summarize studies investigating the neural processing of egoism-based prosocial decisions, studies investigating the neural processing of empathy-based prosocial decisions, and the small number of studies that compared the neural processing of prosocial decisions elicited by the different motives. We conclude that there is evidence for differential neural networks involved in egoism and empathy-based prosocial decisions. However, this evidence is not yet conclusive, because it is mainly based on the comparison of different experimental paradigms which may exaggerate or overshadow the effect of the different motivational states. Finally, we propose paradigms and research questions that should be tackled in future research that could help to specify how egoism can be used to enhance other prosocial behavior and motivation, and the how it could be tamed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Weiß
- Translational Social Neuroscience Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, Psychosomatic and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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26
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Bora E. Social cognition and empathy in adults with obsessive compulsive disorder: A meta-analysis. Psychiatry Res 2022; 316:114752. [PMID: 35961153 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and compulsions and has been associated with psychosocial impairment. Indeed, a number of studies have highlighted impairments in both social cognitive functions and empathic skills in OCD, despite several inconsistencies. This study aimed to investigate social cognitive dysfunction and empathy deficits in patients with OCD using a meta-analytic approach. A literature search was conducted using the databases Pubmed, PsycINFO, ProQuest and Scopus to identify the relevant studies (January 1980 to March 2020). Following the systematic review of relevant OCD studies, a random-effects meta-analysis was conducted. The current meta-analysis included 25 studies consisting of 1161 patients with OCD and 1329 healthy controls. OCD was associated with decreased performance in theory of mind (ToM). In the facial emotion recognition domain, patients with OCD significantly underperformed healthy controls only in their recognition of disgust. OCD was significantly related to reduced cognitive empathy. OCD was associated with medium-sized impairments in ToM and cognitive empathy, which can likely contribute to psychosocial impairment in this disorder. Further studies are needed to investigate state and trait-related factors using experimental measures of empathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emre Bora
- Department of Psychiatry, Dokuz Eylul University Medical School, Izmir 35340, Turkey; Department of Neurosciences, Institute of Health Sciences, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and, Melbourne Health, Carlton South, Victoria 3053, Australia.
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27
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Iotzov V, Saulin A, Kaiser J, Han S, Hein G. Financial incentives facilitate stronger neural computation of prosocial decisions in lower empathic adult females. Soc Neurosci 2022; 17:441-461. [PMID: 36064327 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2022.2115550] [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: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Financial incentives are commonly used to motivate behaviors. However, there is also evidence that incentives can impede the behavior they are supposed to foster, for example, documented by a decrease in blood donations if a financial incentive is offered. Based on these findings, previous studies assumed that prosocial motivation is shaped by incentives. However, so far, there is no direct evidence showing an interaction between financial incentives and a specific prosocial motive. Combining drift-diffusion modeling and fMRI, we investigated the effect of financial incentives on empathy, i.e., one of the key motives driving prosocial decisions. In the empathy-alone condition, participants made prosocial decisions based on empathy. In the empathy-bonus condition, they were offered a financial bonus for prosocial decisions, in addition to empathy induction. On average, the bonus enhanced the information accumulation in empathy-based decisions. On the neural level, this enhancement was related to the anterior insula, the same region that also correlated with empathy ratings. Moreover, the effect of the financial incentive on anterior insula activation was stronger the lower a person scored on empathy. These findings show that financial incentives enhance prosocial motivation in the absence of empathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vassil Iotzov
- Translational Social Neuroscience Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany.,Institute of Medical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Anne Saulin
- Translational Social Neuroscience Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Jochen Kaiser
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Shihui Han
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Grit Hein
- Translational Social Neuroscience Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
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28
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Wawrziczny E, Picard S, Buquet A, Traversac E, Puisieux F, Pasquier F, Huvent-Grelle D, Doba K. Hypnosis Intervention for Couples Confronted with Alzheimer’s Disease: Promising Results of a First Exploratory Study. J Alzheimers Dis 2022; 89:1351-1366. [DOI: 10.3233/jad-220430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Background: Dementia has a negative impact on the quality of life of the person with dementia and their spouse caregivers, as well as on the couple’s relationship, which can lead to high levels of distress for both partners. Hypnosis has been shown to be effective in managing distress and increasing the quality of the relationship. Objective: The aim was to develop a standardized hypnosis intervention for couples confronted with Alzheimer’s disease and evaluate its feasibility, acceptability, and helpfulness in managing the distress of both partners and increasing the quality of the relationship. Methods: In a single-arm study, sixteen couples received the 8-week intervention. Qualitative and quantitative assessments were conducted pre- and post-intervention as well as three months after. Results: 88.9% of couples (n = 16) of the final sample (n = 18) completed the intervention. Despite the negative representations of hypnosis, several factors led couples to accept to participate in this study: positive expectations, professional endorsement, medical application, non-drug approach, home-based, free, flexible, and couple-based intervention. The results showed a significant decrease in distress for both partners. These effects were maintained three months after the intervention. Couples felt more relaxed, had fewer negative emotions, accepted difficulties more easily, were more patient, and reported better communication and more affection in the relationship. Conclusion: Overall, this pilot study shows the feasibility and acceptability of hypnosis with couples confronted with Alzheimer’s disease. Although measures of the preliminary pre- and post-intervention effects are encouraging, confirmatory testing with a randomized controlled trial is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Wawrziczny
- Laboratory SCALab, UMR CNRS 9193, University of Lille, Villeneuve d’Ascq, France
| | - Sandrine Picard
- Laboratory SCALab, UMR CNRS 9193, University of Lille, Villeneuve d’Ascq, France
| | - Amandine Buquet
- Laboratory SCALab, UMR CNRS 9193, University of Lille, Villeneuve d’Ascq, France
| | - Elodie Traversac
- Laboratory SCALab, UMR CNRS 9193, University of Lille, Villeneuve d’Ascq, France
| | - François Puisieux
- Department of Geriatrics, Memory consultation, CHU Lille, Lille, France
| | - Florence Pasquier
- Department of Neurology, Memory Research and Resources Clinic, CHU Lille, Lille, France
| | | | - Karyn Doba
- Laboratory SCALab, UMR CNRS 9193, University of Lille, Villeneuve d’Ascq, France
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29
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Li T, Pei Z, Zhu Z, Wu X, Feng C. Intrinsic brain activity patterns across large-scale networks predict reciprocity propensity. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:5616-5629. [PMID: 36054523 PMCID: PMC9704792 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Reciprocity is prevalent across human societies, but individuals are heterogeneous regarding their reciprocity propensity. Although a large body of task-based brain imaging measures has shed light on the neural underpinnings of reciprocity at group level, the neural basis underlying the individual differences in reciprocity propensity remains largely unclear. Here, we combined brain imaging and machine learning techniques to individually predict reciprocity propensity from resting-state brain activity measured by fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation. The brain regions contributing to the prediction were then analyzed for functional connectivity and decoding analyses, allowing for a data-driven quantitative inference on psychophysiological functions. Our results indicated that patterns of resting-state brain activity across multiple brain systems were capable of predicting individual reciprocity propensity, with the contributing regions distributed across the salience (e.g., ventrolateral prefrontal cortex), fronto-parietal (e.g., dorsolateral prefrontal cortex), default mode (e.g., ventromedial prefrontal cortex), and sensorimotor (e.g., supplementary motor area) networks. Those contributing brain networks are implicated in emotion and cognitive control, mentalizing, and motor-based processes, respectively. Collectively, these findings provide novel evidence on the neural signatures underlying the individual differences in reciprocity, and lend support the assertion that reciprocity emerges from interactions among regions embodied in multiple large-scale brain networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Li
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University)Ministry of EducationGuangzhouChina,School of Psychology, Institute of Brain Research and Rehabilitation (IBRR), Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive ScienceSouth China Normal UniversityGuangzhouChina,Institute of Brain and Psychological SciencesSichuan Normal UniversityChengduChina
| | - Zhaodi Pei
- School of Artificial IntelligenceBeijing Normal UniversityBeijingChina,Engineering Research Center of Intelligent Technology and Educational Application of Ministry of EducationBeijing Normal UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Zhiyuan Zhu
- School of Artificial IntelligenceBeijing Normal UniversityBeijingChina,Engineering Research Center of Intelligent Technology and Educational Application of Ministry of EducationBeijing Normal UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Xia Wu
- School of Artificial IntelligenceBeijing Normal UniversityBeijingChina,Engineering Research Center of Intelligent Technology and Educational Application of Ministry of EducationBeijing Normal UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Chunliang Feng
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University)Ministry of EducationGuangzhouChina,School of Psychology, Institute of Brain Research and Rehabilitation (IBRR), Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive ScienceSouth China Normal UniversityGuangzhouChina
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30
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Liang YS, Zhou SZ, Zhang YJ, Cai XL, Wang Y, Cheung EFC, Lui SSY, Yu X, Madsen KH, Ma YT, Chan RCK. Altered empathy-related resting-state functional connectivity in patients with bipolar disorder. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2022; 272:839-848. [PMID: 34282469 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-021-01305-4] [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] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Empathy is the ability to generate emotional responses (i.e., cognitive empathy) and to make cognitive inferences (i.e., affective empathy) to other people's emotions. Empirical evidence suggests that patients with bipolar disorder (BD) exhibit impairment in cognitive empathy, but findings on affective empathy are inconsistent. Few studies have examined the neural mechanisms of cognitive and affective empathy in patients with BD. In this study, we examined the empathy-related resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) in BD patients. Thirty-seven patients with BD and 42 healthy controls completed the self-report Questionnaires of Cognitive and Affective Empathy (QCAE), the Yoni behavioural task, and resting-sate fMRI brain scans. Group comparison of empathic ability was conducted. The interactions between group and empathic ability on seed-based whole brain rsFC were examined. BD patients scored lower on the Online Simulation subscale of the QCAE and showed positive correlations between cognitive empathy and the rsFC of the dorsal Medial Prefrontal Cortex (dmPFC) with the lingual gyrus. The correlations between cognitive empathy and the rsFC of the temporal-parietal junction (TPJ) with the fusiform gyrus, the cerebellum and the parahippocampus were weaker in BD patients than that in healthy controls. These findings highlight the underlying neural mechanisms of empathy impairments in BD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Si Liang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China.,Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shu-Zhe Zhou
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, 51 Huayuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China.,Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health, Peking University, Beijing, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Peking University Sixth Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yi-Jing Zhang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xin-Lu Cai
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China.,Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Eric F C Cheung
- Castle Peak Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong, China
| | - Simon S Y Lui
- Castle Peak Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong, China.,Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xin Yu
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, 51 Huayuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China.,Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health, Peking University, Beijing, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Peking University Sixth Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Kristoffer H Madsen
- Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research, Beijing, China.,Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital, Amager and Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark.,Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Yan-Tao Ma
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, 51 Huayuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China. .,Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China. .,Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health, Peking University, Beijing, China. .,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Peking University Sixth Hospital, Beijing, China.
| | - Raymond C K Chan
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China. .,Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. .,Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research, Beijing, China. .,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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31
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Kilroy E, Ring P, Hossain A, Nalbach A, Butera C, Harrison L, Jayashankar A, Vigen C, Aziz-Zadeh L, Cermak SA. Motor performance, praxis, and social skills in autism spectrum disorder and developmental coordination disorder. Autism Res 2022; 15:1649-1664. [PMID: 35785418 PMCID: PMC9543450 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has shown that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and developmental coordination disorder (DCD) may have overlapping social and motor skill impairments. This study compares ASD, DCD, and typically developing (TD) youth on a range of social, praxis and motor skills, and investigates the relationship between these skills in each group. Data were collected on participants aged 8–17 (n = 33 ASD, n = 28 DCD, n = 35 TD). Overall, the clinical groups showed some similar patterns of social and motor impairments but diverged in praxis impairments, cognitive empathy, and Theory of Mind ability. When controlling for both social and motor performance impairments, the ASD group showed significantly lower accuracy on imitation of meaningful gestures and gesture to command, indicating a prominent deficit in these praxis skills in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Kilroy
- USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Brain and Creativity Institute, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Priscilla Ring
- USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Anusha Hossain
- USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Alexis Nalbach
- USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Christiana Butera
- USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Brain and Creativity Institute, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Laura Harrison
- USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Brain and Creativity Institute, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Aditya Jayashankar
- USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Brain and Creativity Institute, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Cheryl Vigen
- USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Lisa Aziz-Zadeh
- USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Brain and Creativity Institute, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Sharon A Cermak
- USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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32
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Don't look now! Emotion-induced blindness: The interplay between emotion and attention. Atten Percept Psychophys 2022; 84:2741-2761. [PMID: 35701659 PMCID: PMC9630228 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-022-02525-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Scientists have long been interested in understanding the influence of emotionally salient stimuli on attention and perception. One experimental paradigm that has shown great promise in demonstrating the effect of such stimuli is emotion-induced blindness. That is, when emotionally salient stimuli are presented in a rapid stream of stimuli, they produce impairments in the perception of task-relevant stimuli, even though they themselves are task irrelevant. This is known as emotion-induced blindness, and it is a profound and robust form of attentional bias. Here, we review the literature on emotion-induced blindness, such as identifying the types of stimuli that elicit it, and its temporal dynamics. We discuss the role of dimensional versus categorical approaches to emotion in relation to emotion-induced blindness. We also synthesize the work examining whether certain individuals, such as those high in anxiety versus psychopathy, succumb to emotion-induced blindness to different extents, and we discuss whether the deficit can be reduced or even abolished. We review the theoretical models that have been proposed to explain the phenomenon. Finally, we identify exciting questions for future research, and elucidate useful frameworks to guide future investigations.
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33
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He Y, Zhu J, Chen X, Mu Y. Trait Empathy Modulates Patterns of Personal and Social Emotions During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Front Psychol 2022; 13:893328. [PMID: 35756252 PMCID: PMC9231589 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.893328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused profound consequences on people's personal and social feelings worldwide. However, little is known about whether individual differences in empathy, a prosocial trait, may affect the emotional feelings under such threat. To address this, we measured 345 Chinese participants' personal emotions (e.g., active, nervous), social emotions (i.e., fearful and empathetic feelings about various social groups), and their empathy traits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the representational similarity analysis (RSA), we calculated the pattern similarity of personal emotions and found the similarity between the positive and negative emotions was less in the high vs. low empathy groups. In addition, people with high (vs. low) empathy traits were more likely to have fearful and sympathetic feelings about the disease-related people (i.e., depression patients, suspected COVID-19 patients, COVID-19 patients, flu patients, SARS patients, AIDS patients, schizophrenic patients) and showed more pattern dissimilarity in the two social feelings toward the disease-related people. These findings suggest a prominent role of trait empathy in modulating emotions across different domains, strengthening the polarization of personal emotions as well as enlarging social feelings toward a set of stigmatized groups when facing a pandemic threat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaji He
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiajia Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xuhai Chen
- Key Laboratory of Behavior and Cognitive Psychology in Shaanxi Province, School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, China
| | - Yan Mu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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34
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Ebisch SJH, Scalabrini A, Northoff G, Mucci C, Sergi MR, Saggino A, Aquino A, Alparone FR, Perrucci MG, Gallese V, Di Plinio S. Intrinsic Shapes of Empathy: Functional Brain Network Topology Encodes Intersubjective Experience and Awareness Traits. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12040477. [PMID: 35448008 PMCID: PMC9024660 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12040477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Trait empathy is an essential personality feature in the intricacy of typical social inclinations of individuals. Empathy is likely supported by multilevel neuronal network functioning, whereas local topological properties determine network integrity. In the present functional MRI study (N = 116), we aimed to trace empathic traits to the intrinsic brain network architecture. Empathy was conceived as composed of two dimensions within the concept of pre-reflective, intersubjective understanding. Vicarious experience consists of the tendency to resonate with the feelings of other individuals, whereas intuitive understanding refers to a natural awareness of others’ emotional states. Analyses of graph theoretical measures of centrality showed a relationship between the fronto-parietal network and psychometric measures of vicarious experience, whereas intuitive understanding was associated with sensorimotor and subcortical networks. Salience network regions could constitute hubs for information processing underlying both dimensions. The network properties related to empathy dimensions mainly concern inter-network information flow. Moreover, interaction effects implied several sex differences in the relationship between functional network organization and trait empathy. These results reveal that distinct intrinsic topological network features explain individual differences in separate dimensions of intersubjective understanding. The findings could help understand the impact of brain damage or stimulation through alterations of empathy-related network integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sjoerd J. H. Ebisch
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences (DNISC), G. d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (A.A.); (F.R.A.); (M.G.P.); (S.D.P.)
- Institute of Advanced Biomedical Technologies (ITAB), G. d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Via Luigi Polacchi 11, 66100 Chieti, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Andrea Scalabrini
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences (DiSPuTer), G. d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy;
| | - Georg Northoff
- The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada;
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Centre for Neural Dynamics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
- Mental Health Centre, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310030, China
- Centre for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310030, China
- TMU Research Centre for Brain and Consciousness, Shuang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Humanities in Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
| | - Clara Mucci
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, 24129 Bergamo, Italy;
| | - Maria Rita Sergi
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, G. d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (M.R.S.); (A.S.)
| | - Aristide Saggino
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, G. d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (M.R.S.); (A.S.)
| | - Antonio Aquino
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences (DNISC), G. d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (A.A.); (F.R.A.); (M.G.P.); (S.D.P.)
| | - Francesca R. Alparone
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences (DNISC), G. d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (A.A.); (F.R.A.); (M.G.P.); (S.D.P.)
| | - Mauro Gianni Perrucci
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences (DNISC), G. d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (A.A.); (F.R.A.); (M.G.P.); (S.D.P.)
- Institute of Advanced Biomedical Technologies (ITAB), G. d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Via Luigi Polacchi 11, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Vittorio Gallese
- Unit of Neuroscience, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43121 Parma, Italy;
| | - Simone Di Plinio
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences (DNISC), G. d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (A.A.); (F.R.A.); (M.G.P.); (S.D.P.)
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35
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Functional connectivity patterns of trait empathy are associated with age. Brain Cogn 2022; 159:105859. [PMID: 35305500 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2022.105859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Empathy is the capacity to feel and understand others' mental states. In some individuals, there is an imbalance between the affective and cognitive components of empathy, which can lead to deficits. This study investigated the functional connectivity of the anterior insula (AI) and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), which play key roles in empathy, in covariation with the affective and cognitive subscales of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), as a function of age and sex, as an exploratory analysis. Seed-based functional connectivity analyses were performed on 33 healthy participants that were subdivided according to their age (16 adults and 17 adolescents) and sex (16 women and 17 men). Adolescents reported lower cognitive empathy than adults and men less affective empathy than women. The connectivity of the dmPFC and AI, in covariation with the cognitive and affective subscales of empathy, respectively, differed between adolescents and adults, but was similar in men and women. Adolescents had patterns of negative covariations between the regions of interest and many brain regions associated with the default-mode and salience networks. These findings support that lower self-report levels of empathy in certain individuals could be reflected in the functional connectivity patterns of the dmPFC and AI.
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36
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Knowing Who You Are: Neural Correlates of Self-concept Clarity and Happiness. Neuroscience 2022; 490:264-274. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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37
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Dubey S, Dubey MJ, Ghosh R, Mitchell AJ, Chatterjee S, Das S, Pandit A, Ray BK, Das G, Benito-León J. The cognitive basis of psychosocial impact in COVID-19 pandemic. Does it encircle the default mode network of the brain? A pragmatic proposal. MEDICAL RESEARCH ARCHIVES 2022; 10:10.18103/mra.v10i3.2707. [PMID: 35530572 PMCID: PMC9071110 DOI: 10.18103/mra.v10i3.2707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetics, hypothalamic-pituitary axes, environmental and metabolic influences, and transgenerational plasticity govern social behavior. Cognitive research considers the brain's default mode network (DMN) as a central hub that integrates various cognitive and social processing domains responsible for emotion perception, empathy, theory of mind, and morality. Hence, DMN is regarded as the "social brain." Upsurge in social turmoil, social anxiety, panic, depression, post-traumatic stress, hoarding, herd behavior, substance and behavioral addictions, sexual abuse, and violence in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic are intricately related to personality traits resulting in disruptive social cognition and social behavior, conceptualized as the result of unsettling and disruption of the functional nexus of the DMN. Considering overt and conspicuous display of neuroticism during the current pandemic, its impact upon modulation of the DMN functional nexus and the DMN itself, and the potential to presage cognitive impairment in the future, the authors caution that an increase in the global burden of dementia may be one of the long-term ramifications of COVID-19. Social behavior, a functional derivative of the DMN, can strikingly affect the functional nexus of DMN and the DMN itself, in a centripetal way via the phenomenon called "Experience-Dependent Plasticity," with long-term consequences. In this review, we intend to 1) decipher the association between social cognition and social behavior with the DMN, in time of COVID-19; and to 2) discuss the prospective aftermath of disrupted social behavior during the pandemic on modulation/alteration of functional connectomes of DMN or the DMN itself in the time ahead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Souvik Dubey
- Department of Neuromedicine, Bangur Institute of Neurosciences, Kolkata, India
| | - Mahua Jana Dubey
- Department of Psychiatry, Berhampore Mental Hospital, Murshidabad, India
| | - Ritwik Ghosh
- Department of General Medicine, Burdwan Medical College & Hospital, Burdwan, West Bengal, India
| | - Alex J Mitchell
- University Hospitals of Leicester, University of Leicester, Leicester, U.K
| | - Subhankar Chatterjee
- Department of Medicine, RG Kar Medical College, and Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Shambaditya Das
- Department of Neuromedicine, Bangur Institute of Neurosciences, Kolkata, India
| | - Alak Pandit
- Department of Neuromedicine, Bangur Institute of Neurosciences, Kolkata, India
| | - Biman Kanti Ray
- Department of Neuromedicine, Bangur Institute of Neurosciences, Kolkata, India
| | - Gautam Das
- Department of Neuromedicine, Bangur Institute of Neurosciences, Kolkata, India
| | - Julián Benito-León
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital "12 de Octubre", Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Medicine, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
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38
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Baliyan S, Cimadevilla JM, Bustillos A, Escamilla JC, Leiman M, Sandi C, Venero C. Cultural Adaptation, Validation, and Psychometric Description of the Pictorial Empathy Test (PET) in the Spanish Population. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1027/1015-5759/a000690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. Research in psychology and social neuroscience distinguishes between dispositional and situational empathy for the cognitive and affective aspects of empathy. Yet, the Pictorial Empathy Test (PET) is one of the few brief tests focusing on situational affective empathy. This paper describes the adaptation of PET in a two-stage process, consisting of instrument translation and exploratory analysis of the construct in a university student sample, followed by confirmatory factor analysis and psychometric validation in a general population sample (Study 1, N = 79 and Study 2, N = 580). Our results indicate that the Spanish PET version constitutes a single factor structure with high internal consistency as well as high construct stability across genders and across in-person and online test administration setups. We report satisfactory convergent, discriminant, and nomological validity of the Spanish PET, as reported for the original version, in addition to when explored across new dimensions, like the Interpersonal Reactivity Index or in relation to age and prosocial tendencies. Based on the above, we discuss delineation of the distinct components of emotional empathy as measured by the instrument. The work presented supports the use of the Spanish PET version as a brief screening tool for state affective (emotional) empathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shishir Baliyan
- Department of Psychobiology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Antonio Bustillos
- Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Marina Leiman
- Department of Psychology, University of Almeria, Spain
| | - Carmen Sandi
- Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Cesar Venero
- Department of Psychobiology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain
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39
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40
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You can't sit with us…just kidding! An investigation into the association between empathy and prosocial teasing. PSYCHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/pits.22650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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41
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Abstract
SUMMARY
Good communication skills are the basis of all effective doctor–patient relationships, and psychiatrists in particular have to manage many types of complex interaction. Research shows the benefits of communication skills training. This article describes strategies for teaching relevant clinical communication skills to trainee psychiatrists on MRCPsych courses and in local centres. The authors set out a sustainable training framework using higher trainees as tutors. There is a need for more widespread teaching of clinical communication skills in psychiatry and at an early stage of specialist training.
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42
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Cui D, Liu L, Li Y. Association Between Children's Empathy and Depression: The Moderating Role of Social Preference. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2022; 54:857-869. [PMID: 34982305 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-021-01312-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Although empathy is typically an adaptive characteristic of children, extreme empathy alone or in combination with a negative environment may contribute to a risk of depression. The present study comprehensively investigated the associations between the three constructs of empathy and depression in children, as well as the potential moderating effect of peer relationships (i.e., social preference) on this association. A total of 1223 children (mean age = 10.50 ± .93 years) completed questionnaires on empathy and depression, and social preference was nominated by their peers. Cognitive empathy and positive empathy exerted a positive quadratic effect on depression, while negative empathy had a positive linear association with depression. For children with a low social preference, all three empathy constructs were positively quadratically correlated with depression, extremely high and low empathy were associated with increased depression, and moderate empathy was associated with the lowest level of depression. For children with a high social preference, higher positive empathy was associated with lower depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Cui
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment for Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Lisha Liu
- Center for Teacher Education Research, Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanfang Li
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment for Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
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43
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Cerebellum, Embodied Emotions, and Psychological Traits. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1378:255-269. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-99550-8_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
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44
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Refaat Ahmed F, Shalaby SA. Exploring empathy and self-efficacy in communication skills among nursing students: A cross-sectional study at two universities in the MENA region. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AFRICA NURSING SCIENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijans.2022.100503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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45
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Li Y, Wei Z, Shao M, Hong M, Yang D, Luo L, Meng J. Empathy for pain in individuals with autistic traits during observation of static and dynamic stimuli. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:1022087. [PMID: 36465286 PMCID: PMC9709309 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1022087] [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] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have reported that individuals with autistic traits, like those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), may have impaired empathic responses when observing static stimuli of others' pain. However, it remains unclear whether individuals with autistic traits exhibit impaired empathy for pain in response to dynamic stimuli. The present study addressed this question by recruiting 529 individuals whose autistic traits were assessed using the autism-spectrum quotient (AQ) questionnaire. Thirty participants who scored within the top 10% and bottom 10% on the AQ were selected into High-AQ and Low-AQ groups, respectively. This study employed painful whole-body action pictures and videos as static and dynamic stimuli. Both groups were instructed to judge whether the models in the stimuli were experiencing pain, and their reaction times, accuracy and event-related potential (ERP) data were recorded. Results showed that the P2 amplitudes were larger in the High-AQ group than in the Low-AQ group when viewing painful static stimuli, while no difference between the two groups was found when viewing painful dynamic stimuli. These results suggest that autistic traits influenced the emotional processing of others' pain in response to static stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanting Li
- Key Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China.,Research Center for Brain and Cognitive Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zilong Wei
- Key Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China.,Research Center for Brain and Cognitive Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Min Shao
- Key Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China.,Research Center for Brain and Cognitive Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Mingyu Hong
- Key Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China.,Research Center for Brain and Cognitive Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Di Yang
- Key Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China.,Research Center for Brain and Cognitive Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Longli Luo
- Key Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China.,Research Center for Brain and Cognitive Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jing Meng
- Key Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China.,Research Center for Brain and Cognitive Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
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46
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Morphing Task: The Emotion Recognition Process in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182413273. [PMID: 34948881 PMCID: PMC8702190 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182413273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Recognizing a person’s identity is a fundamental social ability; facial expressions, in particular, are extremely important in social cognition. Individuals affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) display impairment in the recognition of emotions and, consequently, in recognizing expressions related to emotions, and even their identity. The aim of our study was to compare the performance of participants with ADHD, ASD, and typical development (TD) with regard to both accuracy and speed in the morphing task and to determine whether the use of pictures of digitized cartoon faces could significantly facilitate the process of emotion recognition in ASD patients (particularly for disgust). This study investigated the emotion recognition process through the use of dynamic pictures (human faces vs. cartoon faces) created with the morphing technique in three pediatric populations (7–12 years old): ADHD patients, ASD patients, and an age-matched control sample (TD). The Chi-square test was used to compare response latency and accuracy between the three groups in order to determine if there were statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) in the recognition of basic emotions. The results demonstrated a faster response time in neurotypical children compared to ASD and ADHD children, with ADHD participants performing better than ASD participants on the same task. The overall accuracy parameter between the ADHD and ASD groups did not significantly differ.
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47
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Shany O, Greental A, Gilam G, Perry D, Bleich-Cohen M, Ovadia M, Cohen A, Raz G. Somatic engagement alters subsequent neurobehavioral correlates of affective mentalizing. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:5846-5861. [PMID: 34651382 PMCID: PMC8596949 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 07/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Socio‐emotional encounters involve a resonance of others' affective states, known as affect sharing (AS); and attribution of mental states to others, known as theory‐of‐mind (ToM). Empathy necessitates the integration of both processes, yet their interaction during emotional episodes and subsequent generation of inferences on others' affective states has rarely been tested. To address this, we developed a novel experimental design, wherein we manipulated AS by presenting nonverbal emotionally negative movies twice—each time accompanied by one of two soundtracks that accentuated either somatic cues or externally generated sounds. Movies were followed by questions addressing affective‐ToM (emotional inferences), cognitive‐ToM (inferences on beliefs and knowledge), and non‐ToM aspects. Results revealed a neural differentiation between AS, affective‐ToM, and cognitive‐ToM. AS movies activated regions that have been implicated in emotional (e.g., amygdala) and somatosensory processing, and synchronized brain activity between participants in the latter. Affective‐ToM activated the middle insula, limbic regions, and both ventral and dorsal portions of the medial prefrontal cortex (ventral medial prefrontal cortex [VMPFC] and dorsal medial prefrontal cortex [DMPFC], respectively), whereas cognitive‐ToM activated posteromedial and lateral–prefrontal and temporal cortices. Critically, AS movies specifically altered neural activation in AS and ToM‐related regions during subsequent affective‐ToM inferences, most notably in the DMPFC. Moreover, DMPFC–VMPFC connectivity correlated with affective‐ToM accuracy, when such questions followed AS movies. Our results associate empathic processes with designated neural activations and shed light on how neuro‐behavioral indices of affective ToM are shaped by preceding somatic engagement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ofir Shany
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.,Sagol Brain Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Ayam Greental
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.,Sagol Brain Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel.,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Gadi Gilam
- Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Daniella Perry
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Maya Bleich-Cohen
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Moran Ovadia
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel.,Steve Tisch School of Film and Television, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Avihay Cohen
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Gal Raz
- Sagol Brain Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel.,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.,Steve Tisch School of Film and Television, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
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48
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Individualized Prediction of Females' Empathic Concern from Intrinsic Brain Activity within General Network of State Empathy. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2021; 22:403-413. [PMID: 34750754 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-021-00964-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Empathy can be measured based on behavioral tasks and self-report scales, which have been used to characterize the state and trait empathy, respectively, in previous studies. The neural correlates of state empathy have been deeply investigated, whereas the association between trait empathy and brain activity remains unclear. Thus, this study employed multiple variate pattern analysis (MVPA) to explore whether intrinsic brain activity (IBA) within state-empathy-related regions was associated with trait empathy. Meta-analysis of empathy-related fMRI experiments identified a general network underlying state empathy, which is located in the bilateral supplementary motor area (SMA) extending to the middle cingulate cortex (MCC) and left anterior insula (AI) and extending to the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). The subsequent MVPA found that empathic concern can be predicted through the IBA of the general network at the female individual level (i.e., the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations and regional homogeneity). Based on the resting state fMRI (rs-fMRI), these results further support the involvement of SMA/MCC and AI/IFG in empathy. Meanwhile, the significant predictive association between IBA and trait empathy offers new insights into the general component of empathy, which may indicate the potential of using rs-fMRI to achieve the objective measurement of empathic ability.
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49
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Stathi S, Humayun S, Stoddart Isaac R, McCarron DM. Psychopathy and prejudice: The mediating role of empathy, social dominance orientation and right‐wing authoritarianism. JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jts5.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Stathi
- School of Human Sciences, Institute for Lifecourse Development University of Greenwich London UK
| | - Sajid Humayun
- School of Human Sciences, Institute for Lifecourse Development University of Greenwich London UK
| | - Reay Stoddart Isaac
- School of Human Sciences, Institute for Lifecourse Development University of Greenwich London UK
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50
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Quinde-Zlibut JM, Williams ZJ, Gerdes M, Mash LE, Heflin BH, Cascio C. Multifaceted empathy differences in children and adults with autism. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19503. [PMID: 34593865 PMCID: PMC8484273 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98516-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Although empathy impairments have been reported in autistic individuals, there is no clear consensus on how emotional valence influences this multidimensional process. In this study, we use the Multifaceted Empathy Test for juveniles (MET-J) to interrogate emotional and cognitive empathy in 184 participants (ages 8-59 years, 83 autistic) under the robust Bayesian inference framework. Group comparisons demonstrate previously unreported interaction effects between: (1) valence and autism diagnosis in predictions of emotional resonance, and (2) valence and age group in predictions of arousal to images portraying positive and negative facial expressions. These results extend previous studies using the MET by examining differential effects of emotional valence in a large sample of autistic children and adults with average or above-average intelligence. We report impaired cognitive empathy in autism, and subtle differences in emotional empathy characterized by less distinction between emotional resonance to positive vs. negative facial expressions in autism compared to neurotypicals. Reduced emotional differentiation between positive and negative affect in others could be a mechanism for diminished social reciprocity that poses a universal challenge for people with autism. These component- and valence- specific findings are of clinical relevance for the development and implementation of target-specific social interventions in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M Quinde-Zlibut
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Zachary J Williams
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Madison Gerdes
- Graduate Program in Criminology and Justice Policy, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lisa E Mash
- San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Brynna H Heflin
- Graduate Program in Clinical Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Carissa Cascio
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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