The behavioral and cerebral correlates empathy

越来越多的行为、认知和脑成像研究表明，个体在神经系统的帮助下开始理解他人的意图和精神状态，而神经系统也会在自己身上产生同样的状态。这种对应关系的证据最初是在猴子身上发现的，在猴子身上发现了一种被称为“镜像神经元”的特殊类型的脑细胞，它既能对特定的动作做出反应，也能对观察到的另一个个体的相同动作做出反应。镜像神经元被认为代表了长期以来人们寻找的感知和行动之间缺失的生物联系，并被认为负责更复杂的社会互动，如人类的同理心。我们认为，基于多个学科的证据，移情可以分为不同的组成部分，许多大脑系统（包括但不限于镜像神经元）都参与了这一过程。本研究计划通过使用不同的方法手段，包括行为测试、生理反应测量、功能磁共振成像和脑电图脑成像，来研究人类共情的许多方面。主要目标是为人类共情的不同组成部分开发可靠的测量方法，并完善提出的这种复杂而迷人的情感能力的多学科模型。更好地理解移情的行为和大脑基础将为未来社会认知神经科学创新领域的研究提供一个强有力的框架，并可能导致未来创造性主题的工作，如道德和利他行为的大脑根源。

A growing number of behavioural, cognitive and brain imaging studies show that individuals come to understand the intentions and mental states of other people with the help of the neural systems that produces the same states in themselves. Evidence for this correspondence has initially been discovered in monkeys in which a specific type of brain cells call "mirror neurons" were found to respond both to a specific action and to the observation of the same action performed by another individual. Mirror neurons are thought to represent the long sought missing biological link between perception and action, and has been suggested to be responsible for even more complex social interactions such as human empathy. We argue, based on evidence from multiple disciplines, that empathy can be divided into different components and that many brain systems (including but not exclusively mirror neurons) are involved in this process. This research program proposes to investigate the many facets of human empathy by using different methodological means, including behavioural testing, measures of physiological response, and brain imaging with functional magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalography. The main objective is to develop reliable measures for the different components of human empathy and refine the proposed multidisciplinary model of this complex yet fascinating emotional ability. A better understanding of the behavioural and cerebral bases of empathy will provide a strong framework for future research in the innovative domain of social cognitive neuroscience and could lead to future work on creative topics such as the cerebral roots of moral and altruistic behaviour.