Using resting-state DMN effective connectivity to characterize the neurofunctional architecture of empathy

Neuroimaging studies in social neuroscience have largely relied on functional connectivity (FC) methods to characterize the functional integration between different brain regions. However, these methods have limited utility in social-cognitive studies that aim to understand the directed information flow among brain areas that underlies complex psychological processes. In this study we combined functional and effective connectivity approaches to characterize the functional integration within the Default Mode Network (DMN) and its role in self-perceived empathy. Forty-two participants underwent a resting state fMRI scan and completed a questionnaire of dyadic empathy. Independent Component Analysis (ICA) showed that higher empathy scores were associated with an increased contribution of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to the DMN spatial mode. Dynamic causal modelling (DCM) combined with Canonical Variance Analysis (CVA) revealed that this association was mediated indirectly by the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) via the right inferior parietal lobule (IPL). More specifically, in participants with higher scores in empathy, the PCC had a greater effect on bilateral IPL and the right IPL had a greater influence on mPFC. These results highlight the importance of using analytic approaches that address directed and hierarchical connectivity within networks, when studying complex psychological phenomena, such as empathy.- This study was funded by BIAL Foundation (Grant number 87/12); by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and the Portuguese Ministry of Education and Science through national funds and co-financed by FEDER through COMPETE2020 under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007653); by the postdoctoral scholarship UMINHO/BPD/18/2017 and by the Portuguese Foundation for Science Doctoral scholarship (PD/BD/105963/2014). This work was conducted at Psychology Research Centre (UID/PSI/01662/2013), University of Minho

Revisão de aspectos conceituais, teóricos e metodológicos da empatia

A empatia foi objeto de estudo de diversos campos do saber, como a estética, a Filosofia, a Sociologia e a Psicologia. No que se refere a esta última, a empatia tem sido discutida e investigada principalmente por pesquisadores das áreas clínica, social e do desenvolvimento. O objetivo do presente trabalho é apresentar uma revisão da literatura sobre a empatia, enfocando aspectos teóricos, conceituais e metodológicos. Inicialmente, serão levantadas questões sobre a polissemia do termo empatia, sobre as controvérsias a respeito da dimensionalidade desse constructo e alguns problemas teórico-metodológicos atuais nesse campo de estudos. Em seguida, serão apresentadas as principais estratégias de investigação usadas na pesquisa sobre a empatia e os resultados de estudos empíricos que abordam reações afetivas vicárias, caracterizadas como sentimentos empáticos. Por fim, serão tecidas algumas considerações a respeito da necessidade de resolução dos problemas teórico-metodológicos citados, da realização de mais trabalhos empíricos e teóricos sobre a empatia no Brasil e das perspectivas futuras de investigação da empatia