Inter-subject phase synchronization differentiates neural networks underlying physical pain empathy

• Authors: Lei Xu, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China; Taylor Bolt, Emory University; Jason S Nomi, University of Miami; Jialin Li, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China; Xiaoxiao Zheng, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China; Meina Fu, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China; Keith M Kendrick, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China; Benjamin Becker, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China; Lucina Q Uddin, University of Miami
• Journal Title: Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience
• Volume: Volume 15, Number 2
• Publisher: Oxford University Press. | 2020-01-01, Pages 225-233
• Type of Work: Article | Final Publisher PDF
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsaa025
• Subjects: Engineering, Biomedical; Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery
• Keywords: affective pain; brain synchronization; inter-subject correlation; pain empathy; physical pain; Adult; Brain; Brain Mapping; Cerebral Cortex; Empathy; Female; Frontal Lobe; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Pain; Young Adult

Abstract

Recent approaches for understanding the neural basis of pain empathy emphasize the dynamic construction of networks underlying this multifaceted social cognitive process. Inter-subject phase synchronization (ISPS) is an approach for exploratory analysis of task-fMRI data that reveals brain networks dynamically synchronized to task-features across participants. We applied ISPS to task-fMRI data assessing vicarious pain empathy in healthy participants (n=238). The task employed physical (limb) and affective (face) painful and corresponding non-painful visual stimuli. ISPS revealed two distinct networks synchronized during physical pain observation, one encompassing anterior insula and midcingulate regions strongly engaged in (vicarious) pain and another encompassing parietal and inferior frontal regions associated with social cognitive processes which may modulate and support the physical pain empathic response. No robust network synchronization was observed for affective pain, possibly reflecting high inter-individual variation in response to socially transmitted pain experiences. ISPS also revealed networks related to task onset or general processing of physical (limb) or affective (face) stimuli which encompassed networks engaged in object manipulation or face processing, respectively. Together, the ISPS approach permits segregation of networks engaged in different psychological processes, providing additional insight into shared neural mechanisms of empathy for physical pain, but not affective pain, across individuals.