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Empathy for pain and Alexithymia : a rTMS study

Morgan Lemaire1*
  • 1 University of Liège, Department of Psychology: Cognition and Behavior, Belgium

Empathy is a multi-facet function regulating social life. In this study, we investigated empathy in relation to alexithymia. Alexithymia is considered as a state showing difficulties in identification and distinction of one’s own emotional life, as well as difficulties in identification/distinction of others emotions. Thus, alexithymia is considered as an empathy trouble. Previous studies demonstrated that alexithymia is characterized by a particular pattern of cerebral activation comprising some important zones of emotional control (i.e., left DLPFC hyperactivation, left ACC hypoactivation). In the present study, we investigated the electrodermal response of participants during an empathy for pain task before and after an inhibiting rTMS on the right DLPFC to facilitate the ACC activation, with the aim to enhance the emotional expression for alexithymic population. Results showed that rTMS on the right DLPFC increase the relaxation of the alexithymic participants facing the stimuli. This can match our assumptions but further research is needed to clarify this situation.

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Keywords: Emotion Regulation, Empathy for pain, alexithymia, TMS, Skin conductance response

Conference: Belgian Brain Council, Liège, Belgium, 27 Oct - 27 Oct, 2012.

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Topic: Higher Brain Functions in health and disease: cognition and memory

Citation: Lemaire M (2012). Empathy for pain and Alexithymia : a rTMS study. Conference Abstract: Belgian Brain Council. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2012.210.00016

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Received: 10 Sep 2012; Published Online: 12 Sep 2012.

* Correspondence: Mr. Morgan Lemaire, University of Liège, Department of Psychology: Cognition and Behavior, Liège, Liège, 4000, Belgium, morgan.lemaire@ulg.ac.be