Hemispheric dorsolateral prefrontal cortex lateralization in the regulation of empathy for pain
Open accessAbstract
The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is involved in the cognitive appraisal and modulation of the pain experience. In this sham-controlled study, with healthy volunteers, we used bi-hemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the DLPFC to assess emotional reactions elicited by pain observation. Left-cathodal/right-anodal tDCS decreased valence and arousal evaluations compared to other tDCS conditions. Compared to sham condition, both left-cathodal/right-anodal and left-anodal/right-cathodal tDCS decreased hostility, sadness and self-pain perception. These decreased sensations after both active tDCS suggest a common role for left and right DLPFC in personal distress modulation. However, the differences in arousal and valence evaluations point to distinct roles of lateralized DLPFC in cognitive empathy, probably through distinct emotion regulation mechanisms.
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During a pain-related video observation task, both ANF3/CATF4 and ANF4/CATF3 tDCS effectively modulate valence/arousal evaluation and pupil dilatation response.
“during a pain-related video observation task, both ANF3/CATF4 and ANF4/CATF3 tDCS effectively modulate valence/arousal evaluation and pupil dilatation response”
From Ventrolateral but not Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex tDCS effectively impact emotion reappraisal – effects on Emotional Experience and Interbeat Interval (2018) · cites this paper as [14]
The Procedures describe stimulation during pain-video observation, followed by valence and arousal ratings (section 2.2; page unavailable). The Results report significant valence and arousal differences for left-cathodal/right-anodal stimulation versus both sham and the opposite montage (section 3.1). Pupil dilation differed significantly between the two montages, but the left-cathodal/right-anodal comparison with sham was only a trend; the results do not show that both montages effectively modulated all three outcomes (section 3.2). (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredEach tDCS montage presents a particular effect resulting from the combination of the modulation of both electrodes.
“each tDCS montage present a particular effect, resultant of the combination of the modulation of both electrodes”
From Ventrolateral but not Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex tDCS effectively impact emotion reappraisal – effects on Emotional Experience and Interbeat Interval (2018) · cites this paper as [14]
The Methods (§2.7; page unavailable) describe two montages that reverse the placement of anodal and cathodal electrodes, and the Results (§3.1; page unavailable) report different valence and arousal effects for those montages. This supports montage-dependent effects, but the study does not isolate each electrode’s contribution or establish that every montage’s effect results from their combined modulation. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe right DLPFC has an effective role in the control of the emotional impact from negatively valent videos about pain.
“These findings are consistent with another recent study by14, in which the authors showed an effective role of the right DLPFC in the control of the emotional impact from negatively valent videos about pain.”
From Ventrolateral but not Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex tDCS effectively impact emotion reappraisal – effects on Emotional Experience and Interbeat Interval (2018) · cites this paper as [14]
Two contralateral PFC balanced tDCS montages (ANF3/CATF4 and ANF4/CATF3) can present two different effects even though they do not have opposite characteristics.
“two contralateral PFC balanced tDCS montage (ANF3/CATF4 and ANF4/CATF3) could present two different effects even though they do not have opposite characteristics”
From Ventrolateral but not Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex tDCS effectively impact emotion reappraisal – effects on Emotional Experience and Interbeat Interval (2018) · cites this paper as [14]
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Cites
Measuring emotion: The self-assessment manikin and the semantic differential
Bradley, M. M., & Lang, P. J. (1994) · Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/0005-7916(94)90063-9 · Cited by 9,538 · see citing works
Empathy for Pain Involves the Affective but not Sensory Components of Pain
Singer, T., Seymour, B., O'Doherty, J., Kaube, H., Dolan, R. J., & Frith, C. D. (2004) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1093535 · Cited by 3,929 · see citing works
Transcranial direct current stimulation: State of the art 2008
Nitsche, M. A., Cohen, L. G., Wassermann, E. M., Priori, A., Lang, N., Antal, A., Paulus, W., Hummel, F., Boggio, P. S., Fregni, F., et al. (2008) · Brain Stimulation · doi:10.1016/j.brs.2008.06.004 · Cited by 3,057 · see citing works
Self-citationKeeping pain out of mind: The role of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in pain modulation
Lorenz, J., Minoshima, S., & Casey, K. L. (2003) · Brain · doi:10.1093/brain/awg102 · Cited by 952 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 2
- K.N. Ochsner, J.A. Silvers, J.T. Buhle, Functional imaging studies of emotion regulation: a synthetic review and evolving model of the cognitive control of emotion, Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1251 (2012).
- O. Seibt, A.R. Brunoni, Y. Huang, M. Bikson, The pursuit of DLPFC: non-neuronavigated methods to target the left dorsolateral pre-frontal cortex with symmetric bicephalic transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), Brain Stimulat. (2015), Available online, 16 Januarary 2015 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2015.01.401 · DOI
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Sorted by citations
Marques, L. M., Morello, L. Y. N., & Boggio, P. S. (2018) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-018-33711-5 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Self-citation
- Authors
- Rêgo, G. G., Lapenta, O. M., Marques, L. M., Costa, T. L., Leite, J., Carvalho, S., Gonçalves, Ó. F., Brunoni, A. R., Fregni, F., & Boggio, P. S.
- Affiliations
- Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie (BR)
- Northeastern University (US)
- Universidade de São Paulo (BR)
- Harvard University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Boggio, Paulo S.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Neuroscience Letters
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2015-05
- Volume
- 594
- Pages
- 12-16
- ISSN
- 0304-3940 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1965179975
- Cited by
- 79
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 2
- FWCI
- 3.92
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Neuroscience Letters (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) (submittedVersion)
- Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- RepositóriUM (Universidade do Minho) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (2012/24696-1)
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (2013‐0, 2012-5, 304164/2012-7)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Action Observation and Synchronization
- Keywords
- dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, hemispheric lateralization, empathy for pain, cognitive empathy, emotional pain, transcranial direct current stimulation, pain observation, emotion regulation, valence and arousal, hostility, sadness
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Affect, Arousal, Double-Blind Method, Emotions, Empathy, Female, Humans, Functional Laterality, Male, Pain, Photic Stimulation, Pupil, Visual Perception, Prefrontal Cortex, Young Adult, Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
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