Cited by 903Action Observation and SynchronizationNeural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesEmpathy and Medical Education

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Is there a core neural network in empathy? An fMRI based quantitative meta-analysis

Fan, Yan, Duncan, Niall W., de Greck, Moritz, Northoff, Georg·2011·Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

DOI 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2010.10.009

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Abstract

Whilst recent neuroimaging studies have identified a series of different brain regions as being involved in empathy, it remains unclear concerning the activation consistence of these brain regions and their specific functional roles. Using MKDA, a whole-brain based quantitative meta-analysis of recent fMRI studies of empathy was performed. This analysis identified the dACC-aMCC-SMA and bilateral anterior insula as being consistently activated in empathy. Hypothesizing that what are here termed affective-perceptual and cognitive-evaluative forms of empathy might be characterized by different activity patterns, the neural activations in these forms of empathy were compared. The dorsal aMCC was demonstrated to be recruited more frequently in the cognitive-evaluative form of empathy, whilst the right anterior insula was found to be involved in the affective-perceptual form of empathy only. The left anterior insula was active in both forms of empathy. It was concluded that the dACC-aMCC-SMA and bilateral insula can be considered as forming a core network in empathy, and that cognitive-evaluative and affective-perceptual empathy can be distinguished at the level of regional activation.

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“Based on previous studies on cognitive and affective empathy networks [51, 52] 13 ROIs were defined as presented in Table 1.”
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Shigemura, T., Osone, F., Hara, A., Miyano, K., Okada, A., Yokokawa, T., & Shirayama, Y. (2024) · Journal of Neural Transmission · doi:10.1007/s00702-024-02791-1 · Cited by 1
“It is well documented that cognitive empathy is associated with the medial prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex, whereas affective empathy is associated with the insula (Fan et al. 2011 ; Eres et al. 2015 ).”
Contemporary data on the structural and functional organization of the insular lobe of cerebral hemispheres
Alexeeva, N. Т., Клочкова, С. В., Соколов, Д. А., & Nikityuk, D. B. (2024) · Journal of Anatomy and Histopathology · doi:10.18499/2225-7357-2024-13-2-79-92 · Cited by 1
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Mind and Heart As Partners
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“Cognitive and emotional aspects of empathy seem to involve different brain regions, with possible overlap in the insula (Fan et al., 2010).”
Background
Brain activity in healthy elderly persons when presented with swallowing-related videos: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study
Togo, T., Sanjo, Y., Sakai, K., & Nomura, T. (2022) · Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Medicine and Pathology · doi:10.1016/j.ajoms.2022.06.005 · Cited by 1
The forgotten affective route of social cognition in patients with bipolar disorders
Ríos, U., Marcelo Arancibia, M., Jiménez, J. P., & Bermpohl, F. (2022) · Journal of Experimental Psychopathology · doi:10.1177/20438087221135422 · Cited by 1
“Within the affective route, the “emotional component” of empathy is associated with more unconscious and automatic activity related with the anterior insula, inferior parietal lobule, inferior frontal gyrus, and the middle anterior cingulate cortex (Fan et al., 2011).”
BackgroundInfluential
Me, Myself, and I: Neural Activity for Self versus Other across Development
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GREATER EMPATHIC ABILITIES AND THEIR CORRELATION WITH RESTING STATE BRAIN CONNECTIVITY IN PSYCHOTHERAPISTS COMPARED TO NON-PSYCHOTHERAPISTSPreprint
Olalde-Mathieu, V. E., Sassi, F., Reyes-Aguilar, A., Mercadillo, R. E., Alcauter, S., & Barrios, F. A. (2020) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2020.07.01.182998 · Cited by 1
“Seeds were chosen based on their association to empathy and emotion regulation (Supplemental Material Table S2), described in previous research (de Waal & Preston, 2017; Etkin et al., 2015; Fan et al., 2011; Giuliani et al., 2011; Kunz et al., 2011; Uddin et al., 2017).”
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The sensitivity of third party punishment to the framing effect and its brain mechanismPreprint
Yang, J., Liu, J., Gu, R., Deng, K., Huang, X., & Cui, F. (2021) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2021.01.11.426181 · Cited by 1
Development of the Paternal Brain in Humans throughout PregnancyPreprint
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Decreased emotional reactivity after 3-month socio-affective but not attention- or meta-cognitive-based mental training: A randomized, controlled fMRI studyPreprint
Favre, P., Kanske, P., Engen, H. G., & Singer, T. (2020) · PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/n7hdj · Cited by 1
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Authors: Fan, Y., Duncan, N. W., de Greck, M., & Northoff, G.
Affiliations: University of Ottawa (CA)
Corresponding author: Northoff, Georg
ORCID: Fan, Yan
Duncan, Niall W.
Northoff, Georg
Venue: Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Published: 2011-01
Volume: 35
Issue: 3
Pages: 903-911
ISSN: 0149-7634 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2010.10.009
OpenAlex: W2088335634
Semantic Scholar: a0ef877b20f7510e11539ab069df023ea45c7501
Cited by: 902
References: 89
Citations by year: 2026: 41 · 2025: 44 · 2024: 49 · 2023: 56 · 2022: 82 · 2021: 90 · 2020: 77 · 2019: 65 · 2018: 55 · 2017: 67 · 2016: 57 · 2015: 75 · 2014: 58 · 2013: 47 · 2012: 28
FWCI: 3.45
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations: Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders: Salus Foundation
German Research Foundation
SFB/DFG
Hope of Depression Research Foundation (HDRF)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Action Observation and Synchronization
Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Empathy and Medical Education
Keywords: empathy, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, supplementary motor area, anterior insula
MeSH terms: Brain, Brain Mapping, Cognition, Empathy, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Neural Pathways, Neuropsychological Tests, Oxygen, Meta-Analysis as Topic

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Is there a core neural network in empathy? An fMRI based quantitative meta-analysis

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