Key result
Task-fMRI reveals distinct neural network synchronization during physical pain observation but not affective pain.
Why the study?
Recent approaches emphasize the dynamic construction of neural networks underlying pain empathy, but the specific networks synchronized during physical versus affective pain empathy remain unclear.
Observational (n=238)
Inter-subject phase synchronization of fMRI data identifies shared neural networks for physical pain empathy but not affective pain empathy across individuals.
ISPS may map dynamic empathy networks in research; leaves open clinical translation pending replication in targeted populations.
Recent approaches for understanding the neural basis of pain empathy emphasize the dynamic construction of networks underlying this multifaceted social cognitive process. Inter-subject phase synchronization (ISPS) is an approach for exploratory analysis of task-fMRI data that reveals brain networks dynamically synchronized to task-features across participants. We applied ISPS to task-fMRI data assessing vicarious pain empathy in healthy participants (n = 238). The task employed physical (limb) and affective (face) painful and corresponding non-painful visual stimuli. ISPS revealed two distinct networks synchronized during physical pain observation, one encompassing anterior insula and midcingulate regions strongly engaged in (vicarious) pain and another encompassing parietal and inferior frontal regions associated with social cognitive processes which may modulate and support the physical pain empathic response. No robust network synchronization was observed for affective pain, possibly reflecting high inter-individual variation in response to socially transmitted pain experiences. ISPS also revealed networks related to task onset or general processing of physical (limb) or affective (face) stimuli which encompassed networks engaged in object manipulation or face processing, respectively. Together, the ISPS approach permits segregation of networks engaged in different psychological processes, providing additional insight into shared neural mechanisms of empathy for physical pain, but not affective pain, across individuals.
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Xu et al. (2020) conducted an observational in Healthy participants (n=238). Physical and affective painful visual stimuli vs. Non-painful visual stimuli was evaluated on Brain network synchronization. Task-fMRI using inter-subject phase synchronization revealed two distinct neural networks synchronized during physical pain observation, but no robust synchronization for affective pain.
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