Neural Mechanisms With Respect to Different Paradigms and Relevant Regulatory Factors in Empathy for Pain

Abstract

Empathy for pain is thought to activate the affective-motivational components of the pain matrix, which includes the anterior insula and middle and anterior cingulate cortices, as indicated by functional magnetic resonance imaging and other methodologies. Activity in this core neural network reflects the affective experience that activates our responses to pain and lays the neural foundation for our understanding of our own emotions and those of others. Furthermore, although picture-based paradigms can activate somatosensory components of directly experienced pain, cue-based paradigms cannot. In addition to this difference, the two paradigms evoke other distinct neuronal responses. Although the automatic “perception-action” model has long been the dominant theory for pain empathy, a “bottom-up, top-down” mechanism seems to be more comprehensive and persuasive. Indeed, a variety of factors can regulate the intensity of empathy for pain through “top-down” processes. In this paper, we integrate and generalize knowledge regarding pain empathy and introduce the findings from recent studies. We also present ideas for future research into the neural mechanisms underlying pain empathy.

Self-Interest Induces Counter- Empathy at the Late Stage of Empathic Responses to Others’ Economic Payoffs

“…How does the involvement of self-interest regulate empathic responses toward others who suffer unfair treatment? It has been suggested that empathy involves both an early automatic component characterized by emotional sharing (bottom-up processing) and a late controlled component characterized by cognitive evaluation (top-down processing) (Decety and Lamm, 2006; Shamay-Tsoory et al, 2007, 2009; Xiang et al, 2018). This raises the question, ‘Which component is more likely to be affected by self-interest?’ Addressing this issue could help to resolve some of the gaps and apparent anomalies in the current literature on empathy.…”

Competitive Intensity Modulates the Pain Empathy Response: An Event-Related Potentials Study

“…It is suggested that empathy involves both an early automatic component characterized by emotional sharing (bottom-up processing) and a late controlled component characterized by cognitive evaluation (top-down processing) ( Decety and Lamm, 2006 ; Xiang et al, 2018 ). Evidences from ERP studies have shown that the temporal dynamics of empathy for pain consists of an early affective arousal component (N1/N2) followed by a late cognitive reappraisal and regulation component (P3/LPP) ( Luck and Hillyard, 2000 ; Fan and Han, 2008 ; Han et al, 2008 ; Cheng et al, 2017 ; Decety et al, 2017 ).…”

Differential brain responses for perception of pain during empathic response in binge drinkers compared to non-binge drinkers

“…The neural areas, aMCC and insula, which support the affective experience of pain (e.g., Jackson et al, 2006b , Xiang et al, 2018 ), did not in fact show a supra-threshold difference in activation between groups. Moreover, aMCC and insula were not hyper-reactive to perceived pain in others relative to self, contrary to previous research, ( Jackson et al, 2006a , Lamm et al, 2007 , Singer et al, 2004 ).…”

“…Activation of somatosensory cortex when observing stimuli depicting the delivery of pain to different body area is suggested to represent the brain substrate of pain perception and its location on the body ( Xiang et al, 2018 ). In parallel, anterior insula and aMCC are implicated in mediating the affective-motivational components of pain processing as reported by Jackson et al (2006a) and subsequently confirmed in a meta -analysis report of 32 such studies ( Lamm et al, 2011 ).…”

“…Empathic neural responses include the engagement of somatosensory cortices bilaterally and of regions processing affective aspects of pain, including anterior insula cortex (AIC), dorsal mid and anterior cingulate cortex (MCC and ACC) and inferior frontal gyrus ( Jackson et al, 2006a , Lamm et al, 2011 , Lamm et al, 2007 , Lamm et al, 2019 ). Additionally, attending to and mentalizing depictions of pain engages regions of premotor, parietal and temporal cortices (including the fusiform gyrus) linked to representations of action and perceived body image ( Lamm et al, 2007 , Xiang et al, 2018 ). The distinction self/other perspective enables insight into the specific neural underpinnings of sharing and understanding another person’s affective state.…”