The Relationship of Empathy with Mirror Neurons Activation in the Leader-follower Task: A Neuropsychological and kinematic Evidence

Document Type : Original research

Authors

1 Ph. D. Candidate in Motor Learning, Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences in Sport,. Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences in Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

3 University of Tehran

4 Bio-intelligence Research Unit, Sharif Brain Center, Electrical Engineering Department, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

Abstract
Objectives: Empathy is considered as one of the psychological mechanisms of motor coordination and. according to previous studies, it can be reflected in behavioral and neurological indicators. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to investigate the relationship between the activity of mirror neurons in the leader-follower interpersonal motor coordination task with empathy. Methods & Materials: The participants were 16 right-handed women with an average age of 25.47 ± 3.4 who voluntarily participated in this research. Subjects performed two 30-second trials of a rhythmic movement coordination task with a video model. Results: The results showed that there is a significant direct relationship between high beta (HB) rhythm power and delay in movement. Also, suppression of mu rhythm and low beta (LB) and HB has a significant direct relationship with reactive empathy. However, after controlling for behavioral variables, the correlation of reactive empathy with HB was eliminated. Conclusions: The results of this study support both right-hemisphere hypothesis and the valence specific hypothesis in the discussion of neural mechanisms of empathy; nevertheless, the type of task and the role of the individual in the interpersonal motor coordination task (leader/follower) can be discussed among the effective factors in the neuro-psychological relationship of empathy.

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  • Receive Date 21 September 2023
  • Revise Date 02 February 2024
  • Accept Date 05 February 2024