Sensorimotor Gamma-Band Synchronization and Empathic Sharing of Others' Pain

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Sensorimotor Gamma-Band Synchronization and Empathic Sharing of Others' Pain Viviana Betti1*, Filippo Zappasodi2, Paolo M. Rossini3, Salvatore M. Aglioti1 and Franca Tecchio4 1 Sapienza Universita` di Roma, Dipartimento di Psicologia , Italy 2 'G. D'Annunzio' University, Department of Clinical Sciences and Bioimaging , Italy 3 Università Campus Biomedico, Clinica Neurologica, Italy 4 Ospedale Fatebenefratelli, CNR-ISTC, Unità MEG, Italy The enigmatic feeling of pain is build up by the coordinated activation of several brain areas, referred to as the “pain matrix”. Empathy for pain studies have shown that the observation of others’ pain induces the activation of discrete brain areas within the pain matrix, suggesting that the experience of pain may be socially shared. Neuroscience studies focused on whether empathic pain resonance is linked to affective or sensory nodes of the pain matrix. However, empathy, like other complex cognitive processes, is inherently linked to the activation of functional networks rather than of separate brain areas. Here, we used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to explore the relationship between empathy and functional coupling of neuronal activity in primary somatosensory (SI) and motor (MI) cortices.MEG recording was performed while healthy participants observed movie-clips depicting the static hand of a stranger model, the same hand deeply penetrated by a needle, or gently touched by a Q-tip. Subjects were asked to rate the movie-derived sensations attributed to self or to the model. For each type of clip observation, we analyzed spectral power and coherence values in α, β, and γ frequency bands. While spectral power indexes separate neural activity in SI and MI, coherence values index functional cross-talk between these two areas. No power changes of SI or MI sources were induced by observation conditions in any of the frequency bands. Crucially, γ-band coherence values were significantly higher during needle-in-hand than touch and static hand observation and correlated with self-and otherreferred pain ratings derived from needle-in-hand movies observation. Thus, observation of others’ pain increases neuronal synchronization and cross-talk between the onlookers’ sensory and motor cortices, indicating that empathic resonance relies upon the activity of functional networks more than of single areas. Conference: Biomag 2010 - 17th International Conference on Biomagnetism , Dubrovnik, Croatia, 28 Mar - 1 Apr, 2010. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Sensory Processing and Functional Connectivity Citation: Betti V, Zappasodi F, Rossini PM, Aglioti SM and Tecchio F (2010). Sensorimotor Gamma-Band Synchronization and Empathic Sharing of Others' Pain. Front. Neurosci. Conference Abstract: Biomag 2010 - 17th International Conference on Biomagnetism . doi: 10.3389/conf.fnins.2010.06.00155 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 26 Mar 2010; Published Online: 26 Mar 2010. * Correspondence: Viviana Betti, Sapienza Universita` di Roma, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Rome, Italy, viviana.betti@uniroma1.it Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Viviana Betti Filippo Zappasodi Paolo M Rossini Salvatore M Aglioti Franca Tecchio Google Viviana Betti Filippo Zappasodi Paolo M Rossini Salvatore M Aglioti Franca Tecchio Google Scholar Viviana Betti Filippo Zappasodi Paolo M Rossini Salvatore M Aglioti Franca Tecchio PubMed Viviana Betti Filippo Zappasodi Paolo M Rossini Salvatore M Aglioti Franca Tecchio Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.