Temporal Unfolding of Racial Ingroup Bias in Neural Responses to Perceived Dynamic Pain in Others.

Abstract

In this study, we investigated how empathic neural responses unfold over time in different empathy networks when viewing same-race and other-race individuals in dynamic painful conditions. We recorded magnetoencephalography signals from Chinese adults when viewing video clips showing a dynamic painful (or non-painful) stimulation to Asian and White models' faces to trigger painful (or neutral) expressions. We found that perceived dynamic pain in Asian models modulated neural activities in the visual cortex at 100ms-200ms, in the orbitofrontal and subgenual anterior cingulate cortices at 150ms-200ms, in the anterior cingulate cortex around 250ms-350ms, and in the temporoparietal junction and middle temporal gyrus around 600ms after video onset. Perceived dynamic pain in White models modulated activities in the visual, anterior cingulate, and primary sensory cortices after 500ms. Our findings unraveled earlier dynamic activities in multiple neural circuits in response to same-race (vs other-race) individuals in dynamic painful situations.