Bernhardt Boris C, Klimecki Olga M, Leiberg Susanne, Singer Tania
Department of Social Neuroscience, Max-Planck-Institute of Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, D-04301 Leipzig, Germany
Department of Social Neuroscience, Max-Planck-Institute of Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, D-04301 Leipzig, Germany.
Cereb Cortex. 2014 Aug;24(8):2189-98. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bht072. Epub 2013 Mar 27.
Previous functional imaging studies have shown key roles of the dorsal anterior insula (dAI) and anterior midcingulate cortex (aMCC) in empathy for the suffering of others. The current study mapped structural covariance networks of these regions and assessed the relationship between networks and individual differences in empathic responding in 94 females. Individual differences in empathy were assessed through average state measures in response to a video task showing others' suffering, and through questionnaire-based trait measures of empathic concern. Overall, covariance patterns indicated that dAI and aMCC are principal hubs within prefrontal, temporolimbic, and midline structural covariance networks. Importantly, participants with high empathy state ratings showed increased covariance of dAI, but not aMCC, to prefrontal and limbic brain regions. This relationship was specific for empathy and could not be explained by individual differences in negative affect ratings. Regarding questionnaire-based empathic trait measures, we observed a similar, albeit weaker modulation of dAI covariance, confirming the robustness of our findings. Our analysis, thus, provides novel evidence for a specific contribution of frontolimbic structural covariance networks to individual differences in social emotions beyond negative affect.
以往的功能成像研究表明，背侧前脑岛（dAI）和前扣带回中部皮质（aMCC）在对他人痛苦的共情中发挥关键作用。本研究绘制了这些区域的结构协方差网络，并评估了94名女性中这些网络与共情反应个体差异之间的关系。通过对展示他人痛苦的视频任务的平均状态测量，以及基于问卷的共情关注特质测量，来评估共情的个体差异。总体而言，协方差模式表明，dAI和aMCC是前额叶、颞叶边缘和中线结构协方差网络中的主要枢纽。重要的是，共情状态评分高的参与者，其dAI与前额叶和边缘脑区的协方差增加，而aMCC则不然。这种关系是共情特有的，无法用消极情绪评分的个体差异来解释。关于基于问卷的共情特质测量，我们观察到dAI协方差有类似的、尽管较弱的调节作用，证实了我们研究结果的稳健性。因此，我们的分析为额颞叶结构协方差网络对除消极情绪之外的社会情绪个体差异的特定贡献提供了新证据。
