Observational fear behavior in rodents as a model for empathy

Empathy enables social mammals to recognize and share emotion with others and is well-documented in non-human primates. During the past few years, systematic observations have showed that a primal form of empathy also exists in rodents, indicating that empathy has an evolutionary continuity. Now, using rodents exhibiting emotional empathy, the molecular and cellular study of empathy in animals has begun in earnest. In this article, we will review recent reports that indicate that rodents can share states of fear with others, and will try to highlight new understandings of the neural circuitry, biochemistry and genetics of empathic fear. We hope that the use of rodent models will enhance understanding of the mechanisms of human empathy and provide insights into how to treat social deficits in neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by empathy impairment.