| Title |
Right mesial temporal lobe epilepsy impairs empathy-related brain responses to dynamic fearful faces
|
|---|---|
| Published in |
Journal of Neurology, January 2015
|
| DOI | 10.1007/s00415-014-7622-2 |
| Pubmed ID | |
| Authors |
Gianina Toller, Babu Adhimoolam, Thomas Grunwald, Hans-Jürgen Huppertz, Martin Kurthen, Katherine P. Rankin, Hennric Jokeit |
| Abstract |
Unilateral mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) has been associated with reduced amygdala responsiveness to fearful faces. However, the effect of unilateral MTLE on empathy-related brain responses in extra-amygdalar regions has not been investigated. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we measured empathy-related brain responses to dynamic fearful faces in 34 patients with unilateral MTLE (18 right sided), in an epilepsy (extra-MTLE; n = 16) and in a healthy control group (n = 30). The primary finding was that right MTLE (RMTLE) was associated with decreased activity predominantly in the right amygdala and also in bilateral periaqueductal gray (PAG) but normal activity in the right anterior insula. The results of the extra-MTLE group demonstrate that these reduced amygdala and PAG responses go beyond the attenuation caused by antiepileptic and antidepressant medication. These findings clearly indicate that RMTLE affects the function of mesial temporal and midbrain structures that mediate basic interoceptive input necessary for the emotional awareness of empathic experiences of fear. Together with the decreased empathic concern found in the RMTLE group, this study provides neurobehavioral evidence that patients with RMTLE are at increased risk for reduced empathy towards others' internal states and sheds new light on the nature of social-cognitive impairments frequently accompanying MTLE. |
X Demographics
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Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 1 | 50% |
| Unknown | 1 | 50% |
Demographic breakdown
| Type | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Members of the public | 2 | 100% |
Mendeley readers
The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 70 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | 1 | 1% |
| Unknown | 69 | 99% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Student > Ph. D. Student | 11 | 16% |
| Student > Bachelor | 8 | 11% |
| Student > Master | 7 | 10% |
| Researcher | 6 | 9% |
| Other | 5 | 7% |
| Other | 9 | 13% |
| Unknown | 24 | 34% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 17 | 24% |
| Neuroscience | 10 | 14% |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 7 | 10% |
| Nursing and Health Professions | 2 | 3% |
| Linguistics | 1 | 1% |
| Other | 4 | 6% |
| Unknown | 29 | 41% |
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 8. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 11 October 2016.
All research outputs
#4,013,905
of 22,778,347 outputs
Outputs from Journal of Neurology
#946
of 4,471 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#56,888
of 352,048 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Journal of Neurology
#9
of 48 outputs
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So far Altmetric has tracked 4,471 research outputs from this source. They typically receive more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 8.0. This one has done well, scoring higher than 78% of its peers.
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We're also able to compare this research output to 48 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done well, scoring higher than 81% of its contemporaries.