IntroductionTraditionally, empathy has been studied from two main perspectives: the theory-theory approach and the simulation theory approach. These theories claim that social emotions are fundamentally constituted by mind states in the brain. In contrast, classical phenomenology and recent research based on the enactive theories consider empathy as the basic process of contacting others’ emotional experiences through direct bodily perception and sensation.ObjectiveThis study aims to enrich the knowledge of the empathic experience of pain using an experimental phenomenological method.Materials and methodsImplementing an experimental paradigm used in affective neuroscience, we exposed 28 healthy adults to a video of sportspersons suffering physical accidents while practicing extreme sports. Immediately after watching the video, each participant underwent a phenomenological interview to gather data on embodied, multi-layered dimensions (bodily sensations, emotions, and motivations) and temporal aspects of empathic experience. We also performed quantitative analyses of the phenomenological categories.ResultsExperiential access to the other person’s painful experience involves four main themes. Bodily resonance: participants felt a multiplicity of bodily, affective, and kinesthetic sensations in coordination with the sportsperson’s bodily actions. Attentional focus: some participants centered their attention more on their own personal discomfort and sensations of rejection, while others on the pain and suffering experienced by the sportspersons. Kinesthetic motivation: some participants experienced the feeling in their bodies to avoid or escape from watching the video, while others experienced the need to help the sportspersons avoid suffering any injury while practicing extreme sports. The temporality of experience: participants witnessed temporal fluctuations in their experiences, bringing intensity changes in their bodily resonance, attentional focus, and kinesthetic motivation. Finally, two experiential structures were found: one structure is self-centered empathic experience, characterized by bodily resonance, attentional focus centered on the participant’s own experience of seeing the sportsperson suffering, and self-protective kinesthetic motivation; the other structure is other-centered empathic experience, characterized by bodily resonance, attentional focus centered on the sportsperson, and prosocial kinesthetic motivation to help them.DiscussionWe show how phenomenological data may contribute to comprehending empathy for pain in social neuroscience. In addition, we address the phenomenological aspect of the enactive approach to the three dimensions of an embodiment of human consciousness, especially the intersubjective dimension. Also, based on our results, we suggest an extension of the enactive theory of non-interactive social experience.

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IntroductionEarly detection of depression is a cost-effective way to prevent adverse outcomes on brain physiology, cognition, and health. Here we propose that loneliness and social adaptation are key factors that can anticipate depressive symptoms.MethodsWe analyzed data from two separate samples to evaluate the associations between loneliness, social adaptation, depressive symptoms, and their neural correlates.ResultsFor both samples, hierarchical regression models on self-reported data showed that loneliness and social adaptation have negative and positive effects on depressive symptoms. Moreover, social adaptation reduces the impact of loneliness on depressive symptoms. Structural connectivity analysis showed that depressive symptoms, loneliness, and social adaptation share a common neural substrate. Furthermore, functional connectivity analysis demonstrated that only social adaptation was associated with connectivity in parietal areas.DiscussionAltogether, our results suggest that loneliness is a strong risk factor for depressive symptoms while social adaptation acts as a buffer against the ill effects of loneliness. At the neuroanatomical level, loneliness and depression may affect the integrity of white matter structures known to be associated to emotion dysregulation and cognitive impairment. On the other hand, socio-adaptive processes may protect against the harmful effects of loneliness and depression. Structural and functional correlates of social adaptation could indicate a protective role through long and short-term effects, respectively. These findings may aid approaches to preserve brain health via social participation and adaptive social behavior.

Background Alzheimer's disease dementia (ADD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) have a significant impairment in social emotion recognition. Most of these studies assess emotional perception as the ability to identify others' facial emotions (Ekman faces). Nevertheless, emotional recognition with information that integrates whole‐body and postural control responses has not been investigated in ADD or PD. Method 66 participants were recruited (ADD, PD, healthy controls (HC)). Subjects were diagnosed following NINCDS‐ADRDA criteria for ADD, and the United Kingdom Parkinson's Disease Society Brain Bank criteria for PD. Inclusion criteria considered older than 60 years and non‐other neuropsychiatric comorbidity. All participants were assessed in global cognition (ACE‐III), executive function (IFS, FAS), memory (FCRST), and social cognition (Minisea (Faux Pas (FP), Ekman faces (EF)). Three videos were elaborated with persons practicing risk sports (neutral, pleasant, unpleasant); and another unpleasant condition that did not show a human body (car accidents). Videos were previously validated by their emotional properties (120 subjects) following the Self‐assessment Manikin. Participants stood up at a force platform while videos (60 seconds) were presented at a TV screen (40 inches) at face height and 1 meter to the front. Postural control data to compute center of pressure (COP) were collected at a sample rate of 125Hz. At the end of each video, participants had to rate (1‐9) valence, intensity, and control. COP parameters included velocity, area, and frequency decomposition. Statistical analysis was performed on the first principal component (PC1) on those parameters. Emotional recognition was analyzed by ANOVA (3*3) (group*self‐perception), and postural data by Repeated‐Measures ANOVA (3*4) (group*emotional condition). Result Participants with ADD(n=25) show significant impairment in all cognitive domains assessed even when FP was adjusted for control questions, compared to PD(n=14) and HC(n=27). ADD showed significant differences in the recognition of whole‐body negative emotions (6,04+2,752), compared to PD (3,71+2,585) and HC (4,19+2,286). When postural control responses were analyzed, the pleasant condition showed significantly bigger displacements (PC1) than the other emotional conditions. Conclusion ADD participants have problems recognizing negative social emotions that involve whole‐body. Emotional stimuli produce changes similar in postural control among groups, which depend on emotional conditions. These results suggest studying the emotion beyond facial emotion.

During the last twenty years, there has been an increasing interest from the scientific community to study the effects that meditative practices could have in human well-being. However, the academic community has not reached a consensus regarding what are the exact myriad of practices that should be considered meditative, and which should not be considered as such. As a means of provisionally solving this problem, it has been suggested that those practices that fall under an ancestral tradition, in specific Zen meditation, have enough references to be considered meditative. There's plenty of information available regarding the benefits meditative practices could be having, however, there has not been enough research that focuses on the impact that meditation has on people's relationship with themselves or significant others. The present study focused on these questions in order to guide future research into the effectiveness of meditative practice on self and relationship development. To do so, a qualitative approach was chosen, particularly guided by the use of Grounded Theory. This was applied by using an in-depth interview methodology to ten participants which have practiced Zen meditation by a period of eight or more years of systematic-weekly-practice. The resulting investigation allowed us to know that meditators report changes in their relationships: 1. In relation to other people, they perceived the emergence of a new positive intentionality directed to those people and that the quality of their relationships with friends and family had improved, however, a consensus was not reached regarding the influence of the practice in the relationships with their couples. 2. In relation to their self, they noticed an increase in the silencing effect of their inner monologues, a positive attitude, a tendency to engage in meaningful activities and feelings of connectedness with themselves. This study is a preliminary attempt to explore how Zen meditative practice influences the relational domain.