1
|
Deming P, Griffiths S, Jalava J, Koenigs M, Larsen RR. Psychopathy and medial frontal cortex: A systematic review reveals predominantly null relationships. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 167:105904. [PMID: 39343080 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105904] [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: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 08/20/2024] [Accepted: 09/22/2024] [Indexed: 10/01/2024]
Abstract
Theories have posited that psychopathy is caused by dysfunction in the medial frontal cortex, including ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC). Recent reviews have questioned the reproducibility of neuroimaging findings within this field. We conducted a systematic review to describe the consistency of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings according to anatomical subregion (vmPFC, ACC, dmPFC), experimental task, psychopathy assessment, study power, and peak coordinates of significant effects. Searches of PsycInfo and MEDLINE databases produced 77 functional and 24 structural MRI studies that analyzed the medial frontal cortex in relation to psychopathy in adult samples. Findings were predominantly null (85.4 % of 1573 tests across the three medial frontal regions). Studies with higher power observed null effects at marginally lower rates. Finally, peak coordinates of significant effects were widely dispersed. The evidence failed to support theories positing the medial frontal cortex as a consistent neural correlate of psychopathy. Theory and methods in the field should be revised to account for predominantly null neuroimaging findings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Philip Deming
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States.
| | - Stephanie Griffiths
- Department of Psychology, Okanagan College, Penticton, BC, Canada; Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Jarkko Jalava
- Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, Okanagan College, Penticton, BC, Canada
| | - Michael Koenigs
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Rasmus Rosenberg Larsen
- Forensic Science Program and Department of Philosophy, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kim AY, Kim YY. Reduced late positive potentials to distress in individuals with high psychopathic traits during pain judgment tasks. Biol Psychol 2024; 190:108810. [PMID: 38723762 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2024.108810] [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: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
This study examined the empathic processing of individuals with psychopathic traits and healthy controls in response to pain, applying affective perspective-taking (Self vs. Other). Twenty subjects with high psychopathic traits and twenty control subjects performed pain judgment tasks in the study. During the tasks, late positive potentials (LPPs) of the participants were measured to assess emotional processing in reaction to visual stimuli depicting painful or non-painful situations. In early LPP time stage (500-700 ms), the control group and the psychopathic trait group exhibited comparable levels of empathic processing regarding pain. However, in late LPP time window (700-1100 ms), the control group showed a greater LPP amplitude to Pain stimuli than No-pain stimuli, whereas the psychopathic trait group exhibited non-significant amplitude differences between Pain and No-pain stimuli. These findings imply that individuals with high psychopathic traits may swiftly terminate the processing and encounter difficulties in reappraising distress cues, especially in the late stage, providing psychophysiological support for distinctive empathic processing with temporal aspects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ah Yeong Kim
- Department of Forensic Psychology, Kyonggi University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Young Youn Kim
- Department of Forensic Psychology, Kyonggi University, Suwon, South Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Ciucci E, Baroncelli A, Facci C, Righi S, Frick PJ. Callous-Unemotional Traits and Emotion Perception Accuracy and Bias in Youths. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 11:419. [PMID: 38671636 PMCID: PMC11049354 DOI: 10.3390/children11040419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
This study investigated the associations among conduct problems, callous-unemotional (CU) traits, and indices of emotion recognition accuracy and emotion recognition bias obtained from human faces. Impairments in emotion recognition were considered within broader, impaired emotional and social functioning. The sample consisted of 293 middle-school students (51.19% girls; M age = 12.97 years, SD = 0.88 years). In general, CU traits were associated with less accuracy in recognizing emotions, especially fearful and angry faces, and such deficits in emotional recognition were not associated with conduct problems independent of CU traits. These results support the importance of studying potential deficits in the recognition of emotions other than fear. Furthermore, our results support the importance of considering the role of CU traits when studying emotional correlates of conduct problems. For children scoring high on CU traits, the emotion recognition accuracy of anger was low irrespective of the level of conduct problems, whereas in children scoring low on CU traits, less accuracy in recognizing emotions was related to increases in conduct problems. Finally, our results support the need for research to not only focus on accuracy of emotional recognition but also test whether there are specific biases leading to these inaccuracies. Specifically, CU traits were associated not only with lower accuracy in recognizing fearful faces but also with a tendency to interpret fearful faces as angry. This suggests that the emotional deficit associated with CU traits is not just a deficit in empathic concern toward others distress but also includes a tendency to overinterpret emotions as potential threats to oneself.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Enrica Ciucci
- Department of Education, Languages, Interculture, Literatures and Psychology, University of Florence, Via di San Salvi 12, Complesso di San Salvi Padiglione 26, 50135 Florence, Italy;
| | - Andrea Baroncelli
- Department of Philosophy, Social Sciences and Education, University of Perugia, Piazza Giuseppe Ermini 1, 06123 Perugia, Italy;
| | - Carolina Facci
- Department of Education, Languages, Interculture, Literatures and Psychology, University of Florence, Via di San Salvi 12, Complesso di San Salvi Padiglione 26, 50135 Florence, Italy;
| | - Stefania Righi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child’s Health, University of Florence, Via di San Salvi 12, Complesso di San Salvi Padiglione 26, 50135 Florence, Italy;
| | - Paul J. Frick
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, 208 Audubon Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Branchadell V, Poy R, Ribes-Guardiola P, Segarra P, Moltó J. Psychopathic callousness and perspective taking in pain processing: an ERP study. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2024; 19:nsae022. [PMID: 38441235 PMCID: PMC10972532 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsae022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Psychopathy is a multifaceted personality disorder characterized by distinct affective/interpersonal traits, including callousness-unemotionality/meanness, which are often considered the hallmarks of empathic deficits. It has been posited that the processing of others' pain could play an important role in empathy capabilities. This study aimed to investigate the influence of perspective taking on electrocortical responses during pain processing in relation to psychopathic callousness. The late positive potential (LPP) -a well-established electrophysiological indicator of sustained attention to motivationally significant stimuli- was measured while 100 female undergraduates viewed images depicting bodily injuries while adopting an imagine-self or an imagine-other perspective. Callousness factor scores -computed as regression-based component scores from EFA on three relevant self-report measures of this dimension- predicted reduced LPP amplitudes to pain pictures under the imagine-other (but not imagine-self) perspective, even after controlling for other LPP conditions. This result suggests that high-callous individuals exhibit diminished brain responsiveness to others' distress, potentially contributing to the empathic deficits observed in psychopathy. This finding highlights the usefulness of the LPP and perspective taking in studies on pain processing to refine our understanding of the low empathy characteristics of psychopathy in biobehavioral terms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Branchadell
- Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Basic and Clinical Psychology, and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló 12071, Spain
| | - Rosario Poy
- Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Basic and Clinical Psychology, and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló 12071, Spain
| | - Pablo Ribes-Guardiola
- Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Basic and Clinical Psychology, and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló 12071, Spain
| | - Pilar Segarra
- Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Basic and Clinical Psychology, and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló 12071, Spain
| | - Javier Moltó
- Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Basic and Clinical Psychology, and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló 12071, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Seara-Cardoso A. The "(a)moral brain": When things go wrong. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2023; 197:107-117. [PMID: 37633704 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-821375-9.00008-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
In the past decades, a growing interest of neuroscience on moral judgment and decision-making has shed new light on the neurobiological correlates of human morality. It is now understood that moral cognition relies on a complex integration of cognitive and affective information processes that implicate a widely distributed brain network. Moral cognition relies on the coordination of several domain-general processes, subserved by domain-general neural networks, rather than a specific moral cognition system subserved by a specific neural network. In this chapter, we will first briefly review what is currently known about the "moral brain," i.e., the network of brain regions consistently implicated in studies of moral cognition, which include decision-making, affective processing, mentalizing, and perspective-taking processing regions. We will then review the evidence of the impairments found in this network in individuals with psychopathy, a condition whose characteristics indicate profound disturbances in appropriate moral processing. We will present data from neuroimaging studies with forensic/clinical, general population, as well as child and adolescent samples, which seem to converge to support the notion that the moral dysfunction observed in individuals with psychopathy may stem from a disruption of affective components of moral processing rather than from an inability to compute moral judgments per se.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Seara-Cardoso
- Psychology Research Centre, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Psychopathic and autistic traits differentially influence the neural mechanisms of social cognition from communication signals. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:494. [PMID: 36446775 PMCID: PMC9709037 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02260-x] [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: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychopathy is associated with severe deviations in social behavior and cognition. While previous research described such cognitive and neural alterations in the processing of rather specific social information from human expressions, some open questions remain concerning central and differential neurocognitive deficits underlying psychopathic behavior. Here we investigated three rather unexplored factors to explain these deficits, first, by assessing psychopathy subtypes in social cognition, second, by investigating the discrimination of social communication sounds (speech, non-speech) from other non-social sounds, and third, by determining the neural overlap in social cognition impairments with autistic traits, given potential common deficits in the processing of communicative voice signals. The study was exploratory with a focus on how psychopathic and autistic traits differentially influence the function of social cognitive and affective brain networks in response to social voice stimuli. We used a parametric data analysis approach from a sample of 113 participants (47 male, 66 female) with ages ranging between 18 and 40 years (mean 25.59, SD 4.79). Our data revealed four important findings. First, we found a phenotypical overlap between secondary but not primary psychopathy with autistic traits. Second, primary psychopathy showed various neural deficits in neural voice processing nodes (speech, non-speech voices) and in brain systems for social cognition (mirroring, mentalizing, empathy, emotional contagion). Primary psychopathy also showed deficits in the basal ganglia (BG) system that seems specific to the social decoding of communicative voice signals. Third, neural deviations in secondary psychopathy were restricted to social mirroring and mentalizing impairments, but with additional and so far undescribed deficits at the level of auditory sensory processing, potentially concerning deficits in ventral auditory stream mechanisms (auditory object identification). Fourth, high autistic traits also revealed neural deviations in sensory cortices, but rather in the dorsal auditory processing streams (communicative context encoding). Taken together, social cognition of voice signals shows considerable deviations in psychopathy, with differential and newly described deficits in the BG system in primary psychopathy and at the neural level of sensory processing in secondary psychopathy. These deficits seem especially triggered during the social cognition from vocal communication signals.
Collapse
|
7
|
Penagos-Corzo JC, Cosio van-Hasselt M, Escobar D, Vázquez-Roque RA, Flores G. Mirror neurons and empathy-related regions in psychopathy: systematic review, meta-analysis, and a working model. Soc Neurosci 2022; 17:462-479. [PMID: 36151909 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2022.2128868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Mirror neurons have been associated with empathy. People with psychopathic traits present low levels of empathy. To analyze this, a systematic review of fMRI studies of people with psychopathic traits during an emotional facial expression processing task was performed. The regions of interest were structures associated with the mirror neuron system: ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), inferior parietal lobe (IPL), inferior frontal gyrus and superior temporal sulcus. The analysis was also extended to structures related to affective empathy (insula, amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex) and to two more emotional processing areas (orbitofrontal cortex and fusiform gyrus). Hypoactivation was more frequently observed in regions of the mirror neuron system from people with high psychopathic traits, as well as in the emotional processing structures, and those associated with affective empathy, except for the insula, where it presented higher activity. Differences were observed for all types of emotions. The results suggest that the mirror neuron system is altered in psychopathy and their relationship with affective empathy deficits is discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Rubén A Vázquez-Roque
- Laboratorio de Neuropsiquiatría, Instituto de Fisiología, Benemerita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, México
| | - Gonzalo Flores
- Laboratorio de Neuropsiquiatría, Instituto de Fisiología, Benemerita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, México
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Deming P, Heilicher M, Koenigs M. How reliable are amygdala findings in psychopathy? A systematic review of MRI studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 142:104875. [PMID: 36116578 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
The amygdala is a key component in predominant neural circuitry models of psychopathy. Yet, after two decades of neuroimaging research on psychopathy, the reproducibility of amygdala findings is questionable. We systematically reviewed MRI studies (81 of adults, 53 of juveniles) to determine the consistency of amygdala findings across studies, as well as within specific types of experimental tasks, community versus forensic populations, and the lowest- versus highest-powered studies. Three primary findings emerged. First, the majority of studies found null relationships between psychopathy and amygdala structure and function, even in the context of theoretically relevant tasks. Second, findings of reduced amygdala activity were more common in studies with low compared to high statistical power. Third, the majority of peak coordinates of reduced amygdala activity did not fall primarily within the anatomical bounds of the amygdala. Collectively, these findings demonstrate significant gaps in the empirical support for the theorized role of the amygdala in psychopathy and indicate the need for novel research perspectives and approaches in this field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Philip Deming
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Mickela Heilicher
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 6001 Research Park Blvd., Madison, WI 53719, USA
| | - Michael Koenigs
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 6001 Research Park Blvd., Madison, WI 53719, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Greenfield DN, Cazala F, Carre J, Somoza-Mitchell A, Decety J, Thornton D, Kiehl KA, Harenski CL. Emotional intelligence in incarcerated sexual offenders with sexual sadism. THE JOURNAL OF SEXUAL AGGRESSION 2021; 29:68-85. [PMID: 36950182 PMCID: PMC10027388 DOI: 10.1080/13552600.2021.2015469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Revised: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Emotional intelligence (EI) is defined by the ability to perceive, manage, and reason about emotions in oneself and others. Studies have reported deficits in EI abilities among certain antisocial populations such as individuals with psychopathy, and enhanced performance among sexual offenders. Despite EI's relevance to offending behaviour, the association between EI and paraphilic offending has been under-studied. We examined the association between EI, sexual offending, and sexual sadism in 80 incarcerated men with sexual offenses and 207 incarcerated men with non-sexual offences. EI was assessed using the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT). Sadism was measured using the Severe Sexual Sadism Scale (SeSaS). Results showed that SeSaS scores were positively associated with Strategic EI (the ability to understand and manage emotions), but were not significantly related to Experiential EI. This may reflect core characteristics of sexual sadism including domination and manipulation, challenging the prevalent notion that higher EI is invariably positive.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniella N. Greenfield
- The Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute
- University of Wisconsin – Madison
| | - Fadwa Cazala
- The Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute
| | - Jessica Carre
- The Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute
| | - Arielle Somoza-Mitchell
- The Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute
- University of Wisconsin – Madison
| | | | - David Thornton
- Forensic Assessment, Training, & Research (FAsTR), LLC
- Sand Ridge Secure Treatment Center
| | - Kent A. Kiehl
- The Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute
- University of New Mexico
| | - Carla L. Harenski
- The Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Montry KM, Simmonite M, Steele VR, Brook MA, Kiehl KA, Kosson DS. Phonological processing in psychopathic offenders. Int J Psychophysiol 2021; 168:43-51. [PMID: 34358580 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2021.07.627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Recent research has demonstrated that psychopathic offenders exhibit dynamic cognitive and behavioral deficits on a variety of lab tasks that differentially activate left hemisphere resources. The Left Hemisphere Activation (LHA) hypothesis is a cognitive perspective that aims to address these deficits by conceptualizing psychopathy as a disorder in which behavior and cognitive processing change dynamically as a function of the differential taxation of left hemisphere resources. This study aimed to investigate whether psychopathic traits are associated with electrophysiological anomalies under conditions that place differential demands on left hemisphere language processing systems. We examined in a sample of 43 incarcerated indivdiuals the evocation of the N320, an event-related potential (ERP) elicited by nontarget stimuli during a phonological/phonetic decision task that has been shown to elicit greater activation and cognitive processing within the left hemisphere than the right hemisphere. Findings for a subsample of 18 offenders low in psychopathic traits were generally consistent with previous findings in healthy individuals, suggesting similar electrophysiological activity during phonological processing. However, psychopathic traits impacted the amplitude of the N320. Higher levels of psychopathic traits were associated with reduced left-lateralization in phonological processing as well as enhanced ERP differentiation between pronounceable and nonpronounceable stimuli. These findings provide physiological evidence of a relationship between psychopathic traits and anomalous language processing at the phonological level of word processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Molly Simmonite
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, East Hall, 530 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Vaughn R Steele
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 200 Retreat Ave, Whitehall Building, Hartford, CT 06106, USA
| | - Michael A Brook
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 710 N. Lake Shore Drive, Abbott Hall, Suite 1314, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Kent A Kiehl
- The non-profit MIND Research Network, an affiliate of Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute (LBERI), 1101 Yale Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA; Departments of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Law, University of New Mexico, 1 University of New Mexico MSC03 2220, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - David S Kosson
- Department of Psychology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Fallon N, Roberts C, Stancak A. Shared and distinct functional networks for empathy and pain processing: a systematic review and meta-analysis of fMRI studies. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 15:709-723. [PMID: 32608498 PMCID: PMC7511882 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsaa090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 06/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Empathy for pain is a complex phenomenon incorporating sensory, cognitive and affective processes. Functional neuroimaging studies indicate a rich network of brain activations for empathic processing. However, previous research focused on core activations in bilateral anterior insula (AI) and anterior cingulate/anterior midcingulate cortex (ACC/aMCC) which are also typically present during nociceptive (pain) processing. Theoretical understanding of empathy would benefit from empirical investigation of shared and contrasting brain activations for empathic and nociceptive processing. METHOD Thirty-nine empathy for observed pain studies (1112 participants; 527 foci) were selected by systematic review. Coordinate based meta-analysis (activation likelihood estimation) was performed and novel contrast analyses compared neurobiological processing of empathy with a comprehensive meta-analysis of 180 studies of nociceptive processing (Tanasescu et al., 2016). RESULTS Conjunction analysis indicated overlapping activations for empathy and nociception in AI, aMCC, somatosensory and inferior frontal regions. Contrast analysis revealed increased likelihood of activation for empathy, relative to nociception, in bilateral supramarginal, inferior frontal and occipitotemporal regions. Nociception preferentially activated bilateral posterior insula, somatosensory cortex and aMCC. CONCLUSION Our findings support the likelihood of shared and distinct neural networks for empathic, relative to nociceptive, processing. This offers succinct empirical support for recent tiered or modular theoretical accounts of empathy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Fallon
- Correspondence should be addressed to Nicholas Fallon, Department of Psychological Sciences, Institute of Psychology, Health and Society, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, Bedford Street South, Liverpool L69 7ZA, UK. E-mail:
| | - Carl Roberts
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L697ZA, UK
| | - Andrej Stancak
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L697ZA, UK
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Frontotemporal dementia, music perception and social cognition share neurobiological circuits: A meta-analysis. Brain Cogn 2021; 148:105660. [PMID: 33421942 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2020.105660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a neurodegenerative disease that presents with profound changes in social cognition. Music might be a sensitive probe for social cognition abilities, but underlying neurobiological substrates are unclear. We performed a meta-analysis of voxel-based morphometry studies in FTD patients and functional MRI studies for music perception and social cognition tasks in cognitively normal controls to identify robust patterns of atrophy (FTD) or activation (music perception or social cognition). Conjunction analyses were performed to identify overlapping brain regions. In total 303 articles were included: 53 for FTD (n = 1153 patients, 42.5% female; 1337 controls, 53.8% female), 28 for music perception (n = 540, 51.8% female) and 222 for social cognition in controls (n = 5664, 50.2% female). We observed considerable overlap in atrophy patterns associated with FTD, and functional activation associated with music perception and social cognition, mostly encompassing the ventral language network. We further observed overlap across all three modalities in mesolimbic, basal forebrain and striatal regions. The results of our meta-analysis suggest that music perception and social cognition share neurobiological circuits that are affected in FTD. This supports the idea that music might be a sensitive probe for social cognition abilities with implications for diagnosis and monitoring.
Collapse
|
13
|
Latzman RD, Patrick CJ, Lilienfeld SO. Heterogeneity matters: implications for Poeppl et al.'s (2019) meta-analysis and future neuroimaging research on psychopathy. Mol Psychiatry 2020; 25:3123-3124. [PMID: 30833677 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0386-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Revised: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert D Latzman
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | | | - Scott O Lilienfeld
- Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Berluti K, O’Connell KM, Rhoads SA, Brethel-Haurwitz KM, Cardinale EM, Vekaria KM, Robertson EL, Walitt B, VanMeter JW, Marsh AA. Reduced Multivoxel Pattern Similarity of Vicarious Neural Pain Responses in Psychopathy. J Pers Disord 2020; 34:628-649. [PMID: 33074056 PMCID: PMC9796697 DOI: 10.1521/pedi.2020.34.5.628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Psychopathy is a personality construct characterized by interpersonal callousness, boldness, and disinhibition, traits that vary continuously across the population and are linked to impaired empathic responding to others' distress and suffering. Following suggestions that empathy reflects neural self-other mapping-for example, the similarity of neural responses to experienced and observed pain, measurable at the voxel level-we used a multivoxel approach to assess associations between psychopathy and empathic neural responses to pain. During fMRI scanning, 21 community-recruited participants varying in psychopathy experienced painful pressure stimulation and watched a live video of a stranger undergoing the same stimulation. As total psychopathy, coldheartedness, and self-centered impulsivity increased, multivoxel similarity of vicarious and experienced pain in the left anterior insula decreased, effects that were not observed following an empathy prompt. Our data provide preliminary evidence that psychopathy is characterized by disrupted spontaneous empathic representations of others' pain that may be reduced by instructions to empathize.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Berluti
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
| | | | - Shawn A. Rhoads
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
| | | | - Elise M. Cardinale
- National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | | | - Emily L. Robertson
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
| | - Brian Walitt
- National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda. Maryland
| | - John W. VanMeter
- Department of Neurology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC
| | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Overgaauw S, Jansen M, de Bruijn ER. Self-centered or other-directed: Neural correlates of performance monitoring are dependent on psychopathic traits and social context. Cortex 2020; 129:199-210. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2020.01.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
|
16
|
Lilienfeld SO, Watts AL, Murphy B, Costello TH, Bowes SM, Smith SF, Latzman RD, Haslam N, Tabb K. Personality Disorders as Emergent Interpersonal Syndromes: Psychopathic Personality as a Case Example. J Pers Disord 2019; 33:577-622. [PMID: 31621543 DOI: 10.1521/pedi.2019.33.5.577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Personality disorders have long been bedeviled by a host of conceptual and methodological quandaries. Starting from the assumption that personality disorders are inherently interpersonal conditions that reflect folk concepts of social impairment, the authors contend that a subset of personality disorders, rather than traditional syndromes, are emergent interpersonal syndromes (EISs): interpersonally malignant configurations (statistical interactions) of distinct personality dimensions that may be only modestly, weakly, or even negatively correlated. Preliminary support for this perspective derives from a surprising source, namely, largely forgotten research on the intercorrelations among the subscales of select MMPI/MMPI-2 clinical scales. Using psychopathic personality as a case example, the authors offer provisional evidence for the EIS hypothesis from four lines of research and delineate its implications for personality disorder theory, research, and classification. Conceptualizing some personality disorders as EISs elucidates long-standing quandaries and controversies in the psychopathology literature and affords fruitful avenues for future investigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Scott O Lilienfeld
- Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.,University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Nick Haslam
- University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Jauniaux J, Khatibi A, Rainville P, Jackson PL. A meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies on pain empathy: investigating the role of visual information and observers' perspective. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2019; 14:789-813. [PMID: 31393982 PMCID: PMC6847411 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsz055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2019] [Revised: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Empathy relies on brain systems that support the interaction between an observer's mental state and cues about the others' experience. Beyond the core brain areas typically activated in pain empathy studies (insular and anterior cingulate cortices), the diversity of paradigms used may reveal secondary networks that subserve other more specific processes. A coordinate-based meta-analysis of fMRI experiments on pain empathy was conducted to obtain activation likelihood estimates along three factors and seven conditions: visual cues (body parts, facial expressions), visuospatial (first-person, thirdperson), and cognitive (self-, stimuli-, other-oriented tasks) perspectives. The core network was found across cues and perspectives, and common activation was observed in higher-order visual areas. Body-parts distinctly activated areas related with sensorimotor processing (superior and inferior parietal lobules, anterior insula) while facial expression distinctly involved the inferior frontal gyrus. Self- compared to other-perspective produced distinct activations in the left insula while stimulus- versus other-perspective produced distinctive responses in the inferior frontal and parietal lobules, precentral gyrus, and cerebellum. Pain empathy relies on a core network which is modulated by several secondary networks. The involvement of the latter seems to depend on the visual cues available and the observer's mental state that can be influenced by specific instructions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Josiane Jauniaux
- École de psychologie, Université Laval, 2325, rue des Bibliothèques, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et intégration sociale (CIRRIS), 525, boul. Wilfrid-Hamel, Québec, QC G1M 2S8, Canada
- Centre de recherche CERVO, 2601, rue de la Canardière, Québec, QC G1J 2G3, Canada
| | - Ali Khatibi
- Centre de recherche de l’Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM), 4545, Chemin Queen-Mary, Montréal, QC H3W 1W4, Canada
- Center of Precision Rehabilitation for Spinal Pain (CPR Spine), School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Pierre Rainville
- Centre de recherche de l’Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM), 4545, Chemin Queen-Mary, Montréal, QC H3W 1W4, Canada
- Département de stomatologie, Université de Montréal, CP 6128, Succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Philip L Jackson
- École de psychologie, Université Laval, 2325, rue des Bibliothèques, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et intégration sociale (CIRRIS), 525, boul. Wilfrid-Hamel, Québec, QC G1M 2S8, Canada
- Centre de recherche CERVO, 2601, rue de la Canardière, Québec, QC G1J 2G3, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Seara-Cardoso A, Queirós A, Fernandes E, Coutinho J, Neumann C. Psychometric Properties and Construct Validity of the Short Version of the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale in a Southern European Sample. J Pers Assess 2019; 102:457-468. [PMID: 31188025 DOI: 10.1080/00223891.2019.1617297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The Self-Report Psychopathy Scale-Short Form (SRP-SF) is a brief measure of psychopathy, developed via model-based test theory. The SRP-SF has a 4-factor structure with items reflecting affective, interpersonal, lifestyle, and antisocial domains, in line with the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), which can be aggregated to form the traditional F1 and F2 dimensions of psychopathy. Previous research indicates the SRP is a viable tool for examining the prevalence of psychopathic propensities and their correlates in nonoffender populations. Currently, a substantial amount of nonoffender research on psychopathy is conducted in North America. Here, we inspect the psychometric properties of the SRP-SF and probe its association with general personality and empathy in a large southern European (Portuguese) community sample. Consistent with previous studies, results indicated good fit for the 4-factor model, including for separate female and male subsamples, good internal consistency across its scales and subscales, and the predicted pattern of associations with the correlates of psychopathy. The results of this cross-cultural study provide further evidence of the validity of the SRP-SF in the assessment of psychopathy in community samples, and help to extend the nomological net on the larger construct to a southern European sample.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Seara-Cardoso
- Psychological Neuroscience Lab, CIPsi, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Andreia Queirós
- Psychological Neuroscience Lab, CIPsi, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Eugénia Fernandes
- Psychological Neuroscience Lab, CIPsi, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Joana Coutinho
- Psychological Neuroscience Lab, CIPsi, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Craig Neumann
- Department of Psychology, University of North Texas, Texas, USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Liu Y, Meng J, Yao M, Ye Q, Fan B, Peng W. Hearing other's pain is associated with sensitivity to physical pain: An ERP study. Biol Psychol 2019; 145:150-158. [PMID: 30914209 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 03/17/2019] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Numerous studies have demonstrated an overlap between the processing of self-pain and others' pain, which suggests that psychological and neural representations are shared between the perception of physical pain and empathy for pain. As hearing emotional exclamations is a common way in which we regularly perceive and empathize with others' pain, the present study aimed to investigate the link between sensitivity to physical pain and the sounds made by others in pain. We recorded event-related potential (ERP) responses to another person's vocalizations (neutral or painful intonation) and identified electrophysiological responses associated with the processing of painful sounds. Additionally, individual pain sensitivity was characterized by a stimulus-response function that described the relationship between objective stimulus intensity and subjective pain intensity. Results showed that compared with hearing others' neutral sounds, hearing others' sounds of pain elicited more positive frontal-central N1 and N2 responses as well as more positive central-parietal P3 and late positive potential responses. These electrophysiological responses to hearing others' pain replicated electrophysiological responses to observing pictures and video clips of people in pain. Importantly, the neural responses to hearing others in pain were associated with physical pain sensitivity that was indexed by stimulus-response characteristics. The identified link between perception of one's own physical pain and the sounds of others in pain further supports the shared common psychological computations between processing one's own pain and empathizing with others' pain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Liu
- College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jing Meng
- Key Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Manlin Yao
- College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qian Ye
- College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Bi Fan
- College of Management, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Weiwei Peng
- College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Johanson M, Vaurio O, Tiihonen J, Lähteenvuo M. A Systematic Literature Review of Neuroimaging of Psychopathic Traits. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:1027. [PMID: 32116828 PMCID: PMC7016047 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.01027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Core psychopathy is characterized by grandiosity, callousness, manipulativeness, and lack of remorse, empathy, and guilt. It is often comorbid with conduct disorder and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). Psychopathy is present in forensic as well as prison and general populations. In recent years, an increasing amount of neuroimaging studies has been conducted in order to elucidate the obscure neurobiological etiology of psychopathy. The studies have yielded heterogenous results, and no consensus has been reached. AIMS This study systematically reviewed and qualitatively summarized functional and structural neuroimaging studies conducted on individuals with psychopathic traits. Furthermore, this study aimed to evaluate whether the findings from different MRI modalities could be reconciled from a neuroanatomical perspective. MATERIALS AND METHODS After the search and auditing processes, 118 neuroimaging studies were included in this systematic literature review. The studies consisted of structural, functional, and diffusion tensor MRI studies. RESULTS Psychopathy was associated with numerous neuroanatomical abnormalities. Structurally, gray matter anomalies were seen in frontotemporal, cerebellar, limbic, and paralimbic regions. Associated gray matter volume (GMV) reductions were most pronounced particularly in most of the prefrontal cortex, and temporal gyri including the fusiform gyrus. Also decreased GMV of the amygdalae and hippocampi as well the cingulate and insular cortices were associated with psychopathy, as well as abnormal morphology of the hippocampi, amygdala, and nucleus accumbens. Functionally, psychopathy was associated with dysfunction of the default mode network, which was also linked to poor moral judgment as well as deficient metacognitive and introspective abilities. Second, reduced white matter integrity in the uncinate fasciculus and dorsal cingulum were associated with core psychopathy. Third, emotional detachment was associated with dysfunction of the posterior cerebellum, the human mirror neuron system and the Theory of Mind denoting lack of empathy and persistent failure in integrating affective information into cognition. CONCLUSIONS Structural and functional aberrancies involving the limbic and paralimbic systems including reduced integrity of the uncinate fasciculus appear to be associated with core psychopathic features. Furthermore, this review points towards the idea that ASPD and psychopathy might stem from divergent biological processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mika Johanson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Olli Vaurio
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Niuvanniemi Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.,Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Jari Tiihonen
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Niuvanniemi Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.,Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Markku Lähteenvuo
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Niuvanniemi Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
An fMRI investigation of empathic processing in boys with conduct problems and varying levels of callous-unemotional traits. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2018; 18:298-304. [PMID: 29876250 PMCID: PMC5987797 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2018.01.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Revised: 12/18/2017] [Accepted: 01/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The ability to empathise relies in part on using one's own affective experience to simulate the affective experience of others. This process is supported by a number of brain areas including the anterior insula (AI), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and the amygdala. Children with conduct problems (CP), and in particular those with high levels of callous-unemotional traits (CP/HCU) present with less empathy than their peers. They also show reduced neural response in areas supporting empathic processing when viewing other people in distress. The current study focused on identifying brain areas co-activated during affective introspection of: i) One's own emotions (‘Own emotion’); ii) Others' emotions (‘Other emotion’); and iii) One's feelings about others' emotions (‘Feel for other’) during fearful vs neutral scenarios in typically developing boys (TD; n = 31), boys with CP/HCU (n = 31), and boys with CP and low levels of CU (CP/LCU; n = 33). The conjunction analysis across conditions within the TD group revealed significant clusters of activation in the AI, ACC/mPFC, and occipital cortex. Conjunction analyses across conditions in the CP/HCU and CP/LCU groups did not identify these areas as significantly activated. However, follow-up analyses were not able to confirm statistically significant differences between groups across the whole network, and Bayes-factor analyses did not provide substantial support for either the null or alternate hypotheses. Post-hoc comparisons indicated that the lack of conjunction effects in the CP/HCU group may reflect reduced affective introspection in the ‘Other emotion’ and ‘Feel for other’ conditions, and by reduced affective introspection in the ‘Own emotion’ condition in the CP/LCU group. These findings provide limited and ultimately equivocal evidence for altered affective introspection regarding others in CP/HCU, and altered affective introspection for own emotions in CP/LCU, and highlight the need for further research to systematically investigate the precise nature of empathy deficits in children with CP. A core affective introspective network was detected in typically developing children This was active when introspecting about their emotions, another's emotions, or how they felt for another This network was not consistently detected in children with conduct problems Direct comparisons were however unable to detect significant differences in this network between groups Future work must carefully assess and compare deliberative and incidental socio-affective processing in these children
Collapse
|
22
|
|
23
|
|
24
|
Valdespino A, Antezana L, Ghane M, Richey JA. Alexithymia as a Transdiagnostic Precursor to Empathy Abnormalities: The Functional Role of the Insula. Front Psychol 2017; 8:2234. [PMID: 29312079 PMCID: PMC5742870 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Distorted empathic processing has been observed across multiple psychiatric disorders. Simulation theory provides a theoretical framework that proposes a mechanism through which empathy difficulties may arise. Specifically, introspection-centric simulation theory (IST) predicts that an inability to accurately interpret and describe internal affective states may lead to empathy difficulties. The purpose of this review is to synthesize and summarize an empirical literature suggesting that simulation theory provides insights into a cognitive and neurobiological mechanism (i.e., alexithymia and insula pathology) that negatively impacts empathic processing, in addition to how disruptions in these processes manifest across psychiatric disorders. Specifically, we review an emerging non-clinical literature suggesting that consistent with IST, alexithymia and associated insula pathology leads to empathy deficits. Subsequently, we highlight clinical research suggesting that a large number of disorders characterized by empathy pathology also feature alexithymia. Collectively, these findings motivate the importance for future work to establish the role of alexithymia in contributing to empathy deficits across clinical symptoms and disorders. The current review suggests that simulation theory provides a tractable conceptual platform for identifying a potential common cognitive and neural marker that is associated with empathy deficits across a wide array of diagnostic classes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Valdespino
- Social Clinical Affective Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Ligia Antezana
- Social Clinical Affective Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Merage Ghane
- Social Clinical Affective Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - John A Richey
- Social Clinical Affective Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
van Heck CH, Driessen JMA, Amato M, van den Berg MN, Bhandari P, Bilbao-Broch L, Farres-Casals J, Hendriks M, Jodzio AC, Luque-Ballesteros L, Schöchl C, Velasco-Angeles LR, Weijer RHA, van Rijn CM, Jongsma MLA. Pain Processing in a Social Context and the Link with Psychopathic Personality Traits-An Event-Related Potential Study. Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 11:180. [PMID: 28993727 PMCID: PMC5622147 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Empathy describes the ability to understand another person's feelings. Psychopathy is a disorder that is characterized by a lack of empathy. Therefore, empathy and psychopathy are interesting traits to investigate with respect to experiencing and observing pain. The present study aimed to investigate pain empathy and pain sensitivity by measuring event-related potentials (ERPs) extracted from the ongoing EEG in an interactive setup. Each participant fulfilled subsequently the role of "villain" and "victim". In addition, mode of control was modulated resulting in four different conditions; passive villain, active villain, active victim and passive victim. Response-, visual- and pain ERPs were compared between the four conditions. Furthermore, the role of psychopathic traits in these outcomes was investigated. Our findings suggested that people experience more conflict when hurting someone else than hurting themselves. Furthermore, our results indicated that self-controlled pain was experienced as more painful than uncontrolled pain. People that scored high on psychopathic traits seemed to process and experience pain differently. According to the results of the current study, social context, attention and personality traits seem to modulate pain processing and the empathic response to pain in self and others. The within-subject experimental design described here provides an excellent approach to further unravel the influence of social context and personality traits on social cognition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Casper H van Heck
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Donders Center for Cognition, Radboud University NijmegenNijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Josi M A Driessen
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Donders Center for Cognition, Radboud University NijmegenNijmegen, Netherlands.,Radboud University Medical Centre, Cognitive NeuroscienceNijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Maria Amato
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Donders Center for Cognition, Radboud University NijmegenNijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Marnou N van den Berg
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Donders Center for Cognition, Radboud University NijmegenNijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Pritha Bhandari
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Donders Center for Cognition, Radboud University NijmegenNijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Laura Bilbao-Broch
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Donders Center for Cognition, Radboud University NijmegenNijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Jordi Farres-Casals
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Donders Center for Cognition, Radboud University NijmegenNijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Manon Hendriks
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Donders Center for Cognition, Radboud University NijmegenNijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Adrian C Jodzio
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Donders Center for Cognition, Radboud University NijmegenNijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Laura Luque-Ballesteros
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Donders Center for Cognition, Radboud University NijmegenNijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Christina Schöchl
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Donders Center for Cognition, Radboud University NijmegenNijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Laura R Velasco-Angeles
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Donders Center for Cognition, Radboud University NijmegenNijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Roel H A Weijer
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Donders Center for Cognition, Radboud University NijmegenNijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Clementina M van Rijn
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Donders Center for Cognition, Radboud University NijmegenNijmegen, Netherlands
| | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Herpertz SC, Bertsch K, Jeung H. Neurobiology of Criterion A: self and interpersonal personality functioning. Curr Opin Psychol 2017; 21:23-27. [PMID: 28946053 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.08.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Revised: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The Criterion A of the DSM-5 Alternative Model of Personality Disorders follows a functional approach to personality disorders which can be effectively related to abnormalities in brain circuits that are involved in processes related to the self and others. While brain circuits related to the self and others highly overlap supporting the notion of inseparable constructs, structural and functional neuroimaging data point to rather specific deviations in brain processes among the various types of personality disorders, with a focus on borderline and antisocial personality disorders. Neurobiological data have shed light on the problem areas of individuals with personality disorders that goes beyond what we know from either patients' reports or observing their behavior and may open new perspectives on treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sabine C Herpertz
- Department of General Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Voßstr. 2, D-69115 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Katja Bertsch
- Department of General Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Voßstr. 2, D-69115 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Haang Jeung
- Department of General Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Voßstr. 2, D-69115 Heidelberg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
López-Solà M, Koban L, Krishnan A, Wager TD. When pain really matters: A vicarious-pain brain marker tracks empathy for pain in the romantic partner. Neuropsychologia 2017; 145:106427. [PMID: 28712948 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Revised: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
In a previous study (Krishnan, 2016) we identified a whole-brain pattern, the Vicarious Pain Signature (VPS), which predicts vicarious pain when participants observe pictures of strangers in pain. Here, we test its generalization to observation of pain in a close significant other. Participants experienced painful heat (Self-Pain) and observed their romantic partner in pain (Partner-Pain). We measured whether (i) the VPS would respond selectively to Partner-Pain and (ii) the Neurologic Pain Signature (NPS), a measure validated to track somatic pain, would selectively respond to Self-Pain, despite the high interpersonal closeness between partners. The Partner-Pain condition activated the VPS (t = 4.71, p = 0.00005), but not the NPS (t = -1.03, p = 0.308). The Self-Pain condition activated the NPS (t = 13.70, p < .00005), but not the VPS (t = -1.03 p = 0.308). Relative VPS-NPS response differences strongly discriminated Partner-Pain vs. Self-Pain (cross-validated accuracy=97%, p < .000001). Greater interpersonal closeness between partners predicted greater VPS responses during Partner-Pain (r = 0.388, p = 0.050) and greater unpleasantness when observing the romantic partner in pain (r = 0.559, p = 0.003). The VPS generalizes across empathy paradigms and to an interactive social setting, and strongly activates when observing a close significant other in pain. VPS responses may be modulated by relevant interpersonal relationship factors. Self-Pain and Partner-Pain evoke non-overlapping large-scale neural representations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marina López-Solà
- Department of Anesthesiology. Cincinnati Children's Hospital, 3333 Burnet Avenue MLC2 7031 Pain Research Center, Location R8 Room 547, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, USA; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, USA.
| | - Leonie Koban
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, USA; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, USA
| | - Anjali Krishnan
- Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, USA
| | - Tor D Wager
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, USA; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Lockwood PL. The anatomy of empathy: Vicarious experience and disorders of social cognition. Behav Brain Res 2016; 311:255-266. [PMID: 27235714 PMCID: PMC4942880 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.05.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Revised: 05/19/2016] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Empathy, the ability to vicariously experience and to understand the affect of other people, is fundamental for successful social-cognitive ability and behaviour. Empathy is thought to be a critical facilitator of prosocial behaviour and is disrupted in a number of psychiatric and neurological disorders. Research has begun to uncover the neural basis of such 'vicarious experience', which has been studied as a proxy measure of empathy. Together, these studies have identified portions of the insula and anterior cingulate cortex as critically involved. A key debate is whether overlapping or non-overlapping brain areas respond to personal and vicarious experience. This review will highlight emerging evidence for both types of brain response. Importantly, animal models have suggested that there are central divisions between the anterior cingulate gyrus and anterior cingulate sulcus that may be crucial for understanding social behaviour. Attention to this specific anatomy of vicarious processing could therefore help shed light on the functional profile of empathy. Studies in individuals with psychopathy and autism spectrum disorders have found that vicarious experience is atypical. However, the precise nature of these atypicalities is mixed. Understanding the mechanisms of vicarious experience can enhance our knowledge of the neural basis of empathy and, ultimately, help those with disorders of social cognition and behaviour.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patricia L Lockwood
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Vyas K, Jameel L, Channon S. The influence of subclinical psychopathic traits on responding to others' awkward requests. Cogn Neuropsychiatry 2016; 21:228-41. [PMID: 27112215 DOI: 10.1080/13546805.2016.1174681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Psychopathy is characterised by a postulated deficit in emotional empathy, with intact cognitive empathy. Although studies have examined performance on laboratory tasks within incarcerated populations, there is a paucity of work exploring how subclinical psychopathic traits translate into everyday social interactions. METHODS The present study investigated this by screening 502 university students with the Psychopathic Personality Inventory and comparing 20 high-scoring (10F; mean age = 19.85 years) and 19 low-scoring (15F; mean age = 21.00 years) participants on their responses to the Social Strategy Task. This comprises social scenarios that each end with an awkward request posed by the main character. Participants provided verbal responses and rated the awkwardness of each situation. Verbal responses were classified into positive or negative social strategies, denoting the extent of compliance with requests. RESULTS The groups were compared using analysis of variance and t-tests. The high psychopathic trait group used fewer positive social strategies than the low group was less polite in emotional tone and perceived situations as less awkward. CONCLUSIONS The findings are considered in relation to the postulated dissociation between intact cognitive empathy and impaired emotional empathy. The potential implications for clinical interventions are briefly discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karishma Vyas
- a Department of Experimental Psychology , University College London , London , UK
| | - Leila Jameel
- a Department of Experimental Psychology , University College London , London , UK
| | - Shelley Channon
- a Department of Experimental Psychology , University College London , London , UK
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Breeden AL, Cardinale EM, Lozier LM, VanMeter JW, Marsh AA. Callous-unemotional traits drive reduced white-matter integrity in youths with conduct problems. Psychol Med 2015; 45:3033-46. [PMID: 26087816 PMCID: PMC5160028 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291715000987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Callous-unemotional (CU) traits represent a significant risk factor for severe and persistent conduct problems in children and adolescents. Extensive neuroimaging research links CU traits to structural and functional abnormalities in the amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. In addition, adults with psychopathy (a disorder for which CU traits are a developmental precursor) exhibit reduced integrity in uncinate fasciculus, a white-matter (WM) tract that connects prefrontal and temporal regions. However, research in adolescents has not yet yielded similarly consistent findings. METHOD We simultaneously modeled CU traits and externalizing behaviors as continuous traits, while controlling for age and IQ, in order to identify the unique relationship of each variable with WM microstructural integrity, assessed using diffusion tensor imaging. We used tract-based spatial statistics to evaluate fractional anisotropy, an index of WM integrity, in uncinate fasciculus and stria terminalis in 47 youths aged 10-17 years, of whom 26 exhibited conduct problems and varying levels of CU traits. RESULTS Whereas both CU traits and externalizing behaviors were negatively correlated with WM integrity in bilateral uncinate fasciculus and stria terminalis/fornix, simultaneously modeling both variables revealed that these effects were driven by CU traits; the severity of externalizing behavior was not related to WM integrity after controlling for CU traits. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that WM abnormalities similar to those observed in adult populations with psychopathy may emerge in late childhood or early adolescence, and may be critical to understanding the social and affective deficits observed in this population.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A. L. Breeden
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - E. M. Cardinale
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - L. M. Lozier
- Department of Neurology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - J. W. VanMeter
- Department of Neurology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - A. A. Marsh
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Seara-Cardoso A, Sebastian CL, Viding E, Roiser JP. Affective resonance in response to others' emotional faces varies with affective ratings and psychopathic traits in amygdala and anterior insula. Soc Neurosci 2015; 11:140-152. [PMID: 25978492 PMCID: PMC5321475 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2015.1044672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Despite extensive research on the neural basis of empathic responses for pain and disgust, there is limited data about the brain regions that underpin affective response to other people's emotional facial expressions. Here, we addressed this question using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging to assess neural responses to emotional faces, combined with online ratings of subjective state. When instructed to rate their own affective response to others' faces, participants recruited anterior insula, dorsal anterior cingulate, inferior frontal gyrus, and amygdala, regions consistently implicated in studies investigating empathy for disgust and pain, as well as emotional saliency. Importantly, responses in anterior insula and amygdala were modulated by trial-by-trial variations in subjective affective responses to the emotional facial stimuli. Furthermore, overall task-elicited activations in these regions were negatively associated with psychopathic personality traits, which are characterized by low affective empathy. Our findings suggest that anterior insula and amygdala play important roles in the generation of affective internal states in response to others' emotional cues and that attenuated function in these regions may underlie reduced empathy in individuals with high levels of psychopathic traits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Seara-Cardoso
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom
- CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Portugal
| | | | - Essi Viding
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan P. Roiser
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|