Regional gray matter volume is associated with empathizing and systemizing in young adults.

Bogdan Draganski,Hikaru Takeuchi,Ai Fukushima,Ryuta Kawashima,Atsushi Sekiguchi,Hiroshi Hashizume,Yuko Sassa,Yasuyuki Taki

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0084782

Abstract

Empathizing is defined as the drive to identify the mental states of others for predicting their behavior and responding with an appropriate emotion. Systemizing is defined as the drive to analyze a system in terms of the rules that govern the system in order to predict its behavior. Using voxel-based morphometry and questionnaires in a large sample of normal, right-handed young adults, we investigated the regional gray matter volume (rGMV) correlates of empathizing and systemizing and additionally those of the D score, which is the difference between systemizing and empathizing, to reveal the comprehensive picture of those correlates. Negative rGMV correlates of empathizing and positive rGMV correlates of the D score (formed by the negative correlation between rGMV and empathizing), were found primarily in nodes in the default mode network, mirror neuron system, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, and the lateral part of the prefrontal cortex together with other areas. Positive rGMV correlates of systemizing and of the D score (formed by the positive correlation between rGMV and systemizing) were found primarily in nodes in the external attention system, middle cingulate cortex, and other regions. Negative rGMV correlates of systemizing were found in an area close to the left posterior insula and putamen. These findings reconcile some previously inconsistent findings, provide other new findings and suggest that these areas contribute to empathizing–systemizing. Furthermore, the negative/positive rGMV correlates of empathizing and positive/negative rGMV correlates of systemizing overlapped substantially. This may be in line with the notion that empathizing and systemizing compete neurally in the brain.

Highlights

Empathizing is defined as the drive to identify the mental states of others for predicting their behavior and responding with an appropriate emotion [1]
(3) We investigated whether empathizing quotient (EQ) and/or systemizing quotient (SQ) scores showed significant relationships with regional gray matter volume (rGMV) using small volume correction (SVC) and false discovery rate (FDR) in the areas of the mask images where significant clusters showing a correlation between rGMV and the D score were found
Summary In agreement with our hypothesis, rGMVs in regions in the default mode network (DMN) were correlated with empathizing, while those in external attention system (EAS) regions were correlated with systemizing

Summary

Introduction

Empathizing is defined as the drive to identify the mental states of others for predicting their behavior and responding with an appropriate emotion [1]. Systemizing is defined as the drive to analyze a system in terms of the rules that govern the system in order to predict its behavior [1]. The empathizing–systemizing theory posits that autism spectrum conditions (ASCs), such as Asperger’s syndrome, represent an extreme disposition toward reduced empathizing and enhanced systemizing [1]. The systemizing quotient (SQ) and empathizing quotient (EQ) questionnaires [3,5], developed to evaluate individual differences of empathizing and systemizing, are self-report questionnaires. Their validity in quantifying empathizing–systemizing has been established. The Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), a measure of autistic traits, is well explained by a model including both EQ and SQ [9]

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