The interactive effect of empathy and motor cortex stimulation on hand gesture comprehension (original) (raw)

Abstract

Previous research has demonstrated that the Action-Observation Network (AON) is involved in both emotionalembodiment (empathy) and action-embodiment mechanisms. In the current study, we hypothesized that interfering with the AON will impair action recognition and that this impairment will be modulated by empathy levels. Fifty-two participants conducted a semantic decision task of hand gesture recognition, while we interfered with the AON by applying active (n ¼ 26) or sham (n ¼ 26) transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) to the hand area of the primary motor cortex. We found that interfering with the AON impaired the performance of participants with high empathy levels and enhanced the performance of participants with low empathy. This finding suggests that the embodiment module may be flexible, and that it can be enhanced in individuals with low empathy by simple manipulation of motor activation.

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What is the effect of tDCS on hand gesture comprehension in different empathy levels?add

The study reveals that tDCS enhances hand gesture comprehension in low empathy individuals but impairs it in high empathy individuals.

How does the Action Observation Network relate to empathy and motor cortex stimulation?add

The findings indicate that the Action Observation Network's activity during motor cortex stimulation varies with empathy levels, affecting hand gesture interpretation.

What mechanisms improve comprehension in low-empathy participants under motor cortex stimulation?add

The paper demonstrates that stimulating the motor cortex enhances feedback from the body to the brain, facilitating the embodiment mechanism in low empathy individuals.

Which specific brain regions are involved in experience sharing and gesture comprehension?add

Research identifies the Anterior Cingulate Cortex and Insula as key regions in experience sharing, relevant for gesture comprehension.

What experimental methods were used to assess empathy's role in gesture comprehension?add

The study utilized tDCS alongside behavioral tasks and an empathy questionnaire to evaluate the effects of empathy on gesture comprehension.

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