The Spectrum of Embodied Intersubjective Synchrony in Empathy: From Fully Embodied to Externally Oriented Engagement in Parkinson's Disease

Antonia Gala Zepeda^1,2Alejandro Troncoso^1,2Daniela Pizarro²Costanza Baquedano^1,2Rodrigo Gomez³Silvia Barria³Kevin A. Blanco-Madariaga^1,2David Martínez-Pernía^1,2,4*

• ¹Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN) School of Psychology, Adolfo Ibáñez University, Santiago, Santiago Metropolitan Region (RM), Chile
• ²Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Peñalolén, Santiago Metropolitan Region (RM), Chile
• ³Memory and Neuropsychiatric Clinic, Del Salvador Hospital, Santiago, Santiago Metropolitan Region (RM), Chile
• ⁴Geroscience Center for Health and Brain Metabolism (GERO), Santiago, Santiago Metropolitan Region (RM), Chile

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder that not only affects motor function but also impairs empathy. While the neurobiological changes underlying these deficits are known, the impact of PD on the lived experience of empathy remains poorly understood. This study explores the lived experience of empathy for pain in individuals with PD, focusing on the intertwined relationship between embodied intersubjective synchrony as it connects to the other’s suffering. Method: Forty-five patients with mild to moderate PD watched videos of athletes falling during extreme sports. Afterward, they underwent phenomenological interviews to explore their embodied experiences of others’ suffering. Data were analyzed iteratively through three independent analyses, triangulation, and advanced techniques (CAQDAS, inter-rater agreement index, interactive dashboards, spider graphs) to deepen the phenomenological analysis. Additionally, a quantitative analysis assessed sociodemographic, neuropsychological, and emotional differences across experiential structures. Results: This study provides a nuanced view of empathy for pain in Parkinson's disease, revealing a spectrum of embodied intersubjective synchrony. Two primary empathic structures emerged: Embodied Resonance Empathy, marked by strong bodily and emotional connections synchronized with others’ suffering through internal sensations, and Marginal Embodied Resonance Empathy, where bodily and emotional resonance is reduced or absent, relying mainly on visual cues. Substructures of Embodied Resonance Empathy include Other-Centered Empathy, driven by motivation to help, and Self-Centered Empathy, focused on personal discomfort. Marginal Embodied Resonance Empathy encompasses Transparent Resonance Empathy, involving emotional responses without bodily sensations, and Non-Resonance Empathy, characterized by a complete absence of bodily and emotional resonance. Quantitative analysis of self-reported emotional assessments showed that participants with Marginal Embodied Resonance Empathy perceived other's suffering as less unpleasant and experienced lower emotional arousal than those with Embodied Resonance Empathy. Conclusion: This study uncovers a spectrum of embodied intersubjective synchrony in empathy among individuals with Parkinson’s disease, ranging from fully embodied synchrony, marked by internal bodily and emotional resonance attuned to other’s suffering, to externally oriented synchrony, characterized by diminished or absent resonance, relying primarily on visual alignment. These findings highlight the importance of embodied intersubjective synchrony in empathy, suggesting that targeted interventions could be essential for enhancing social cognition in PD.