1. Pictures of pain: their contribution to the neuroscience of empathy. G. D. Schott, Pictures of pain: their contribution to the neuroscience of empathy, Brain, Volume 138, Issue 3, March 2015, Pages 812–820, https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awu395 • I chose this article because it discusses the study of empathy in relation to pictures depicting pain. It explores two different approaches to understanding the neural networks involved in the empathetic response to these images: one focusing on the mirror neuron system and automatic imitative movement, and the other considering cognitive responses to art and alternative neural networks. The article emphasizes the need for caution when drawing conclusions about the networks involved and highlights the value of pictures in studying pain and empathy. It also mentions factors that can influence the neural networks engaged when viewing images of pain, such as the length of time a picture is viewed and the order in which its features are scanned. Overall, the article provides insights into the complex nature of empathy and its relationship to art and aesthetics. 2. The Neuropsychoanalytic Approach: Using Neuroscience as the Basic Science of Psychoanalysis. Johnson, B., & Mosri, D. F. (2016). The Neuropsychoanalytic approach: using neuroscience as the basic science of psychoanalysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01459 • I chose this article because it discusses the basic emotion systems in neuroscience and their relevance to psychoanalysis. It mentions the role of dopamine and mu opioids in motivation and pleasure, respectively. The article also discusses the activation of instinctual systems and the positive and negative effects they generate. It highlights the importance of the CARE system in maternal love and attachment, as well as the role of the PANIC system in separation distress. The article suggests that the activation of certain systems and the deactivation of others can be effective in treating depression. It also discusses the dysregulation of these systems in psychotoxic drug use. Overall, the integration of neuroscience and psychoanalysis can lead to a better understanding of the mind and improved clinical techniques. 3. Psychological processing in chronic pain: A neural systems approach. Simons, L. E., Elman, I., & Borsook, D. (2014). Psychological processing in chronic pain: A neural systems approach. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 39, 61– 78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.12.006 • I chose this article because it discusses how complex brain circuits including sensory, affective, cognitive, and interoceptive processing are important in our understanding of chronic pain. It also talks about how in the clinics, evaluating and treating chronic pain has become difficult due to the feedback loops between physical (such as trauma) and emotional pain as well as the effects of altered psychological status on the manifestation of pain. A mechanistic approach to the application of psychology-based treatments may be better understood by comprehending the brain circuits involved in psychological processes. In the context of localized and integrated neuronal networks, it assesses some of the fundamental processes that may be affected by chronic pain in this review. These changes are continual and vary in size and hierarchical manifestations, and therapies have the potential to affect them in a temporal and sequential manner. 4. The Contribution of Emotion and Cognition to Moral Sensitivity: A Neurodevelopmental Study Jean Decety, Kalina J. Michalska, Katherine D. Kinzler, The Contribution of Emotion and Cognition to Moral Sensitivity: A Neurodevelopmental Study, Cerebral Cortex, Volume 22, Issue 1, January 2012, Pages 209–220, https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhr111 • I choose this article because it discusses a study on empathy for pain in children and the role of emotion and empathy in the development of moral cognition across different ages. The study used fMRI data processing and analysis to examine age-related changes in brain activity. The results showed that morally salient scenarios evoked stronger empathic sadness in young participants and were associated with enhanced activity in the amygdala, insula, and temporal poles. The study also found that ratings of deserved punishments and malevolent intent gradually became more differentiated with age. The ventromedial prefrontal cortex showed increased activity in response to intentional harm to people, and there was increased functional connectivity between this region and the amygdala. Overall, the study highlights the importance of affect in the development of morality and suggests that moral reasoning involves a complex integration between emotion and cognition that changes with age. 5. Predicting Individual Differences in Placebo Analgesia: Contributions of Brain Activity during Anticipation and Pain Experience. Wager, T. D., Atlas, L. Y., Leotti, L. A., & Rilling, J. K. (2011). Predicting Individual Differences in Placebo Analgesia: Contributions of Brain Activity during Anticipation and Pain Experience. The Journal of Neuroscience, 31(2), 439– 452. https://doi.org/10.1523/jneurosci.3420-10.2011 • I chose this article because it discusses the use of standard multiple regression and robust general linear model estimation in analyzing data. It also mentions the use of network analysis, specifically cluster analysis, to examine the interrelationships among regions and functional connectivity. The article further discusses a study that aimed to identify brain regions associated with placebo analgesia and the use of various analysis techniques to identify these regions. The findings suggest that specific brain regions play a role in the placebo analgesic response. 6. The dynamics of pain reappraisal: the joint contribution of cognitive change and mental load. Adamczyk, A. K., Ligeza, T. S., & Wyczesany, M. (2020). The dynamics of pain reappraisal: the joint contribution of cognitive change and mental load. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, 20(2), 276–293. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13415020-00768-7 • I chose this article because it discusses a study on the effects of reappraisal on pain experience. The study found that reappraisal modulated neural processing of pain from early stages and resulted in changes in subjective ratings of pain. Participants reported reduced pain and unpleasantness in the down-regulation condition and enhanced pain and unpleasantness in the up-regulation condition. The article emphasizes the importance of carefully selected control conditions and discusses the influence of cognitive change and cognitive load on pain modulation. It also raises the issue of demand characteristics in reappraisal studies. The study used EEG source localization to identify brain clusters associated with reappraisal effects. 7. Cross-Species Affective Neuroscience Decoding of the Primal Affective Experiences of Humans and Related Animals. Panksepp, J. (2011). Cross-Species Affective neuroscience decoding of the primal affective experiences of humans and related animals. PLOS ONE, 6(9), e21236. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0021236 • I chose this article because it discusses the importance of studying animal emotions and argues for the existence of emotional feelings in animals. It mentions the use of affective neuroscience and electrical brain stimulation to provide evidence for animal emotions. The article concludes by stating that studying animal emotions can help us better understand our own emotional feelings. 8. Repeated witnessing of Conspecific in pain: effects on emotional contagion. Carrillo, M., Migliorati, F., Bruls, R., Han, Y., Heinemans, M., Pruis, I. J., Gazzola, V., & Keysers, C. (2015). Repeated witnessing of conspecifics in pain: Effects on emotional contagion. PLOS ONE, 10(9), e0136979. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0136979 • I chose this article because it discusses the effects of repeated pain witnessing on emotional contagion in rats. The study found that the freezing behavior of observer rats gradually diminished over time, indicating habituation to the distress of the demonstrators. However, the frequency of yawning in the observers increased, possibly indicating a change in their affective response to distress. The study also found that observers spent more time in the window zone, indicating their attention was captured by the demonstrators receiving shocks. Further testing is needed to explore these findings. 9. Contributions of neuroscience to new empathy epistemology: implications for developmental training. VanCleave, D. (2017). Contributions of Neuroscience to a New Empathy Epistemology: Implications for Developmental training. Advances in Social Work. https://doi.org/10.18060/21087 • I chose this article because it discusses the importance of empathy training and development in various fields, including social work, medicine, business, and education. It emphasizes the need for training that promotes insight and skill development to legitimize therapeutic strategies that promote flexibility, creativity, and innovation. The article also highlights the lack of empathy training in nursing and social work programs and suggests the need for a comprehensive training model for clinical empathic response. 10. Empathy in Clinical Practice: How Individual Dispositions, Gender, and Experience Moderate Empathic Concern, Burnout, and Emotional Distress in Physicians Gleichgerrcht, E., & Decety, J. (2013). Empathy in clinical practice: How individual dispositions, gender, and experience moderate empathic concern, burnout, and emotional distress in physicians. PLOS ONE, 8(4), e61526. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0061526 • I chose this article because it discusses the importance of empathy in clinical and caregiving settings and the decline of empathy during residency training. It found that compassion satisfaction was strongly associated with empathic concern, perspective-taking, and altruism, while compassion fatigue was more closely related to personal distress and alexithymia. Gender had a selective effect on empathic concern, with women displaying higher values. Years of experience did not influence dispositional measures. Participants who experienced compassion fatigue with little to no compassion satisfaction showed the highest scores on personal distress and alexithymia. The ability to engage in self-other awareness and regulate one’s emotions, as well as the tendency to help others, contribute to the sense of compassion in clinical practice. 1. Large, general science topic 2. Your more specific interest within this topic The neural basis of emotional pain and it’s distinction from physical pain. Neuroscience 4. What is a research question that would address this unknown? 3. What do we not know about your specific interest? (What remains unknown? What are the gaps in our knowledge?) Gaps in understanding the specific neural mechanism of emotional pain and treatment advantages. What are the differences between the neurological mechanisms behind emotional pain and those underlying physical pain, and how do they affect treatment? 7. What type of study is this? Z Comparative study 9. How specifically will you collect this data? 5. What is your hypothesis? Different neural activity patterns are involved in emotional pain. 8. What are your variable(s)? (e.g. independent, dependent, control) In order to collect self-reported data, participants will re 6. What data will you need to test your hypothesis? Independent variables: Emotional and physical pain stimuli. Dependent variables: Brain activity, pain pe data from fMRI scans measuring brain activity, emotional distress levels, and pain thresholds.
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