title: Anterior insula GABA levels correlate with emotional aspects of empathy: a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Empathy is a multidimensional construct referring to the capacity to understand and share the emotional and affective states of another person. Cerebral γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic levels are associated with a variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders. However, the role of the GABA system in different dimensions of empathy has not been investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-two right-handed healthy volunteers took part in this study. We used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy to determine GABA concentrations in the anterior insula (AI) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and to examine the relationship between the GABA concentrations and the subcomponents of empathy evaluated by the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pearson correlation analyses (two-tailed) showed that AI GABA was significantly associated with the empathy concern score (r = 0.584, p<0.05) and the personal distress score (r = 0.538, p<0.05) but not significantly associated with other empathy subscales. No significant correlation was found between ACC GABA and empathy subscores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Left AI GABA was positively correlated with the emotional aspects of empathy. These preliminary findings call into question whether AI GABA alterations might predict empathy dysfunction in major psychiatric disorders such as autism and schizophrenia, which have been described as deficits in emotional empathic abilities.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Department of Physics, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Qianfeng
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Department of Physics, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Zhuwei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Department of Physics, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Department of Physics, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Luguang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Department of Physics, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China; School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xiuyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Department of Physics, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jianqi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D004645:Empathy / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D066244:Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid