1. Hemispheric dorsolateral prefrontal cortex lateralization in the regulation of empathy for pain
- Author
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Óscar F. Gonçalves, Paulo S. Boggio, Felipe Fregni, Olivia Morgan Lapenta, Jorge Leite, Andre R. Brunoni, Sandra Carvalho, Thiago Leiros Costa, Lucas Miranda Marques, Gabriel Gaudencio Rêgo, and Universidade do Minho
- Subjects
Male ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Emotions ,Audiology ,Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ,Prefrontal cortex ,Functional Laterality ,media_common ,Physical pain ,Transcranial direct-current stimulation ,General Neuroscience ,Visual perception ,Sadness ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Visual Perception ,Female ,Transcranial direct current stimulation ,Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex ,Psychology ,Arousal ,psychological phenomena and processes ,Cognitive psychology ,Adult ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Adolescent ,Photic stimulation ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Prefrontal Cortex ,Pain ,Empathy ,behavioral disciplines and activities ,Lateralization of brain function ,Young Adult ,Double-Blind Method ,mental disorders ,medicine ,Functional laterality ,Humans ,Science & Technology ,Emotion regulation ,Pupil dilation ,Pupil ,Affect ,Young adult ,Pain empathy ,Photic Stimulation ,Double-blind Method - Abstract
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., This experiment was supported by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq-480891/2012-5). LMM is supported by a scientific initiation grant (CNPq – 160553/2013-0). OML is supported by a FAPESP PhD grant (FAPESP – 2012/24696-1). PSB is a CNPq research fellow (304164/2012-7).
- Published
- 2015