Table 1: Empathy and neural correlations.

  Situation

 

  Active neural regions

 Empathy circuit

Self-perspective of pain or

actual experience of pain

1.

2.

3.

4.

ACC (more posterior)

Posterior insula

Secondary somatosensory cortex

Left inferior parietal lobe [4]

#4 (affective)

#5 (affective)

#9 (affective)

#8 (affective)

Perspective of pain in others

1.

2.

3.

4.

ACC [5]

RTPJ

Anterior insula

Right inferior parietal lobe [6]

#4 (affective)

#6 (affective)

#5 (affective)

#8 (affective)

Taking perspective of others

for a motoric action (e.g.

winding a watch)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Frontopolar cortex/OFC

Right inferior parietal lobule

Supplementary motor area

(SMA)

Premotor cortex occipito-temporal region

#2 (cognitive)

#8 (affective)

Taking perspective of others

for a concept (e.g. taking antibiotic drugs causes general fatigue)

1.

2.

3.

Frontopolar cortex/OFC

Medial prefrontal cortex

Right inferior parietal lobule

#2 (cognitive)

#1 (cognitive)

#8 (affective)

Taking perspective of others

for an emotional experience

(e.g. someone enters the changing room you have forgotten to lock)

1.

2.

3.

4.

Frontopolar cortex/OFC

Medial prefrontal cortex

Ventro medial prefrontal cortex

Right inferior parietal lobule

#2 (cognitive)

#1 (cognitive)

#1 (cognitive)

#8 (affective)

Emotion regulation

1.

2.

3.

4.

ACC

OFC

Ventro medial prefrontal cortex

Right temporal cortex

#4 (affective)

#2 (cognitive)

#1 (cognitive)

[#6,#7] (affective)

 

#Number.