Relationship between individual differences in pain empathy and task- and resting-state EEG

• Published in: NeuroImage (Orlando, Fla.) Vol. 284; p. 120452
• Main Authors: Pan, Zhiqiang, Zhang, Chuan, Su, Wenjie, Qi, Xingang, Feng, Xinyue, Gao, Lanqi, Xu, Xiaoxue, Liu, Jixin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 15.12.2023; Elsevier Limited; Elsevier
• Subjects: Brain research; Chronic pain; Cortex (frontal); Cortex (parietal); EEG; Electrodes; Electroencephalography; Electroencephalography (EEG); Emotions; Empathy; Individual differences; Menstruation; Neural networks; Pain empathy; Pain perception; Pain sensitivity; Ratings & rankings; Recording equipment; Resting-state and task-state; Visual stimuli; Pain sensitivity; Electroencephalography (EEG); Resting-state and task-state; Pain empathy; Individual differences
• ISSN: 1053-8119; 1095-9572
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120452

•Pain empathy varies from individual to individual and is related to pain perception.•Electroencephalography showed that both delta and alpha bands were involved in pain empathy regulation.•The average power in the delta band of Fz reflects individual differences in pain empathy.•The phase-locking values of the alpha band between Fz and P3 reflect individual differences in pain sensitivity. Pain empathy is a complex form of psychological inference that enables us to understand how others feel in the context of pain. Since pain empathy may be grounded in our own pain experiences, it exhibits huge inter-individual variability. However, the neural mechanisms behind the individual differences in pain empathy and its association with pain perception are still poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to characterize brain mechanisms associated with individual differences in pain empathy in adult participants (n = 24). The 32-channel electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded at rest and during a pain empathy task, and participants viewed static visual stimuli of the limbs submitted to painful and nonpainful stimulation to solicit empathy. The pain sensitivity of each participant was measured using a series of direct current stimulations. In our results, the N2 of Fz and the LPP of P3 and P4 were affected by painful pictures. We found that both delta and alpha bands in the frontal and parietal cortex were involved in the regulation of pain empathy. For the delta band, a close relationship was found between average power, either in the resting or task state, and individual differences in pain empathy. It suggested that the spectral power in Fz's delta band may reflect subjective pain empathy across individuals. For the alpha band, the functional connectivity between Fz and P3 under painful picture stimulation was correlated to individuals' pain sensitivity. It indicated that the alpha band may reflect individual differences in pain sensitivity and be involved in pain empathy processing. Our results suggested the distinct role of the delta and alpha bands of EEG signals in pain empathy processing and may deepen our understanding of the neural mechanisms underpinning pain empathy.