title: Double dissociation of neural responses supporting perceptual and cognitive components of social cognition: evidence from processing of others' pain.
abstract: Models on how perceptual and cognitive information on others' mental states are treated by the cognitive architecture are often framed as duplex models considering two independent systems. In the context of the neuroscience of empathy analogous systems have been described. Using event-related potentials (i.e., ERPs) technique, we tested the hypothesis of temporal dissociation of two functional systems. We implemented a design in which perceptual (i.e., painful or neutral facial expressions) and contextual (i.e., painful or neutral related sentences) cues on others' mental states were orthogonally manipulated. Painful expressions selectively modulated the early activity at 110-360 ms over fronto-central and centro-parietal regions, whereas painful contexts selectively modulated the late activity at 400-840 ms over these same regions. Notably, the reactions to pain triggered by these cues added up when both were available, that is the joint reaction was characterized by additive effects. These findings favor a model assuming distinct neural paths of perceptual and cognitive processing, at least when the cognitive component is triggered by language.
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy [2] Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sessa
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meconi
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Psychology, Peking University, Beijing, China [2] PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Shihui
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003071:Cognition; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D004645:Empathy; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008959:Models, Neurological; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time; D012919:Social Behavior; D055815:Young Adult