The DOI matches its Crossref record; 88 of the 89 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Is there a core neural network in empathy? An fMRI based quantitative meta-analysis
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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“the literature currently lacks a specific meta-analytic investigation and comprehensive systematic review on the relationship between empathy and the MNS.”
From Is the Putative Mirror Neuron System Associated with Empathy? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2021) · cites this paper as Fan, Duncan, de Greck, & Northoff, 2011
In the citing paper
“Similar to previous findings (Fan et al., 2011; Lamm et al., 2011; Shamay-Tsoory, 2011), whole-brain analyses of the contrast of painful vs. neutral expressions revealed activations in both the empathy network, including the anterior cingulate and bilateral AI/inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), and the theory-of-mind network, including the mPFC, left TPJ, and right temporal pole (TP) (all activations”
From A neurobiological association of revenge propensity during intergroup conflict (2020) · cites this paper as Fan et al., 2011
In the citing paper
“Interoception-related meta-representation of emotion has thus been suggested to underlie the concomitant involvement of the aMCC/SMA and AI/IFG in neuroimaging studies on empathy as reflecting affective sharing (Singer and Lamm 2009; Fan et al. 2011).”
From Parsing the neural correlates of moral cognition: ALE meta-analysis on morality, theory of mind, and empathy (2012) · cites this paper as Fan et al. 2011
In the citing paper
“Two recent cross-sectional meta-analyses suggest that empathy for pain crucially involves anterior insula (AI) and anterior midcingulate cortex (aMCC) (Fan et al., 2011;Lamm et al., 2011).”
From Differential pattern of functional brain plasticity after compassion and empathy training (2014) · cites this paper as Fan et al., 2011
In the citing paper
“These results align with and extend previous crosssectional meta-analytic findings on a crucial role of insula and aMCC in empathy for pain (Fan et al., 2011;Lamm et al., 2011)”
From Differential pattern of functional brain plasticity after compassion and empathy training (2014) · cites this paper as Fan et al., 2011
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Maurer, J. M., Allen, C. H., Stephenson, D. D., Harenski, K. A., Edwards, B. G., Anderson, N. E., Harenski, C. L., Calhoun, V. D., Caldwell, M. F., Rybroek, G. J. V., et al. (2026) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1884761
“…including affective processing (Deen et al., 2024; Maddock et al., 2003; Rolls and Grabenhorst, 2008; Todorov, 2012), empathy (Fallon et al., 2020; Fan et al., 2011), emotion regulation (Berboth and Morawetz, 2021; Frank et al., 2014; Golkar et al., 2012), rewards processing (Murray, 2007; Rolls,…”
Li, M., Tang, Q., Tang, W., Lin, S., Zhang, M., Guo, X., Liu, Y., Lin, D., & Lin, L. (2026) · Frontiers in Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnins.2026.1948910
“MNS activation enables individuals to comprehend others’ behavioral intentions and emotional states through a process of “embodied simulation,” thereby establishing the neurobiological substrate for empathic communication (Rizzolatti and Craighero, 2004; Fan et al., 2011).”
L'approche transdiagnostique en psychopathologie
Carré, A. (2026) · Dunod eBooks · doi:10.3917/dunod.mones.2026.01.0169
Neural Circuits of Social Behavior in Autism Spectrum Disorder: From Mechanism to Intervention
Sparks, K. C. O., & Pedapati, E. V. (2026) · Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2026.10.006
劉玉玲, He, H., Li, G., Sun, P., Deng, S., Liu, Y., Klugah‐Brown, B., Yu, Y., Duan, M., Bringas-Vega, M. L., et al. (2026) · PeerJ · doi:10.7717/peerj.21811
“Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have identi fi ed key regions associated with empathy, including the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, mid-anterior cingulate cortex, supplementary motor area, and bilateral anterior insula ( Fan et al., 2011 ).”
Metadata
- Authors
- Fan, Y., Duncan, N. W., de Greck, M., & Northoff, G.
- Affiliations
- University of Ottawa (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Northoff, Georg
- Venue
- Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2011-01
- Volume
- 35
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 903-911
- ISSN
- 0149-7634 (ISSN-L)
- 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
- 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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