title: Working memory load modulates the neural response to other's pain: Evidence from an ERP study.
abstract: The present study investigated the time course of processing other's pain under different conditions of working memory (WM) load. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded while the participants held two digits (low WM load) or six digits (high WM load) in WM and viewed pictures that showed others who were in painful or non-painful situations. Robust WM-load×Picture interactions were found for the N2 and LPP components. In the high WM-load condition, painful pictures elicited significantly larger amplitudes than non-painful pictures. In the low WM load condition, the difference between the painful and non-painful pictures was not significant. These ERP results indicate that WM load can influence both the early automatic N2 component and late cognitive LPP component. Compared with high WM load, low WM load reduced affective arousal and emotional sharing in response to other's pain and weakened the cognitive evaluation of task irrelevant stimuli. These findings are explained from the load theory perspective.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China. Electronic address: cuifang0826@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cognition and Behavior, Henan University, Kaifeng, China.
authors.forename: Xiangru
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China.
authors.forename: Yuejia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Institute of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
authors.forename: Jiaping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004645:Empathy / Q000502:physiology*; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D010146:Pain; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: ERPs; Load theory; Other’s pain; Working memory load