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Cited by 148Action Observation and SynchronizationEmpathy and Medical EducationPain Mechanisms and Treatments

From painkiller to empathy killer: acetaminophen (paracetamol) reduces empathy for pain

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Mischkowski, Dominik, Crocker, Jennifer, Way, Baldwin M.·2016·Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience
DOI 10.1093/scan/nsw057PMC PMC5015806
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Abstract

Simulation theories of empathy hypothesize that empathizing with others' pain shares some common psychological computations with the processing of one's own pain. Support for this perspective has largely relied on functional neuroimaging evidence of an overlap between activations during the experience of physical pain and empathy for other people's pain. Here, we extend the functional overlap perspective to the neurochemical level and test whether a common physical painkiller, acetaminophen (paracetamol), can reduce empathy for another's pain. In two double-blind placebo-controlled experiments, participants rated perceived pain, personal distress and empathic concern in response to reading scenarios about another's physical or social pain, witnessing ostracism in the lab, or visualizing another study participant receiving painful noise blasts. As hypothesized, acetaminophen reduced empathy in response to others' pain. Acetaminophen also reduced the unpleasantness of noise blasts delivered to the participant, which mediated acetaminophen's effects on empathy. Together, these findings suggest that the physical painkiller acetaminophen reduces empathy for pain and provide a new perspective on the neurochemical bases of empathy. Because empathy regulates prosocial and antisocial behavior, these drug-induced reductions in empathy raise concerns about the broader social side effects of acetaminophen, which is taken by almost a quarter of adults in the United States each week.

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  • Empathetic pain activates the same areas of the brain involved in the affective experience of physical pain, and it can be reduced using painkillers.

    “Empathetic pain activates the same areas of the brain involved in the affective experience of physical pain [54], and it can be reduced using painkillers [55].”

    From The social origins of consciousness (2025) · cites this paper as [55]

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Authors
Mischkowski, D., Crocker, J., & Way, B. M.
Affiliations
  • National Institutes of Health (US)
  • The Ohio State University (US)
  • The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (US)
ORCID
Venue
Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2016-05-05
Volume
11
Issue
9
Pages
1345-1353
ISSN
  • 1749-5016 (ISSN-L)
  • 1749-5024
DOI
10.1093/scan/nsw057
PMC
PMC5015806
OpenAlex
W2346195449
Cited by
148
References
70
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 5
FWCI
29.81
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Action Observation and Synchronization
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Empathy and Medical Education
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Pain Mechanisms and Treatments
Keywords
paracetamol, empathy for pain, analgesics, social pain, ostracism, personal distress, empathic concern, pain unpleasantness
MeSH terms
Acetaminophen, Double-Blind Method, Empathy, Female, Humans, Male, Noise, Pain, Social Behavior, Social Environment, Analgesics, Non-Narcotic, Young Adult

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