Network functional connectivity underlying dissociable cognitive and affective components of empathy in adolescence

NEUROPSYCHOLOGIA

卷:156

Article

Winters, Drew E.¹  Pruitt, Patrick J.²  Fukui, Sadaaki³  Cyders, Melissa A.⁴  Pierce, Barbara J.³  Lay, Kathy³  Damoiseaux, Jessica S.^2,5 

[1] Univ Colorado, Dept Psychiat, Anschutz Med Campus, Aurora, CO 80045 USA

[2] Wayne State Univ, Inst Gerontol, Detroit, MI 48202 USA

[3] Indiana Univ, Sch Social Work, Bloomington, IN 47405 USA

[4] Indiana Univ Purdue Univ, Dept Psychol, Indianapolis, IN 46205 USA

[5] Wayne State Univ, Dept Psychol, Detroit, MI 48202 USA

关键词: Adolescence;    Cognitive empathy;    Affective empathy;    Functional connectivity;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.107832

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Empathy, the capacity to understand and share others? emotions, can occur through cognitive and affective components. These components are different conceptually, behaviorally, and in the brain. Neuroimaging taskbased research in adolescents and adults document that cognitive empathy associates with the default mode and frontoparietal networks, whereas regions of the salience network underlie affective empathy. However, cognitive empathy is slower to mature than affective empathy and the extant literature reveals considerable developmental differences between adolescent and adult brains within and between these three networks. We extend previous work by examining empathy?s association with functional connectivity within and between these networks in adolescents. Participants (n = 84, aged 13?17; 46.4% female) underwent resting state fMRI and completed self-report measures (Interpersonal Reactivity Index) for empathy as part of a larger Nathan-Kline Institute study. Regression analyses revealed adolescents reporting higher cognitive empathy had higher within DMN connectivity. Post hoc analysis revealed cognitive empathy?s association within DMN connectivity is independent of affective empathy or empathy in general; and this association is driven by positive pairwise connections between the bilateral angular gyri and medial prefrontal cortex. These results suggest introspective cognitive processes related to the DMN are specifically important for cognitive empathy in adolescence.

【 授权许可】

Free