RESUMO
La empatía es un fenómeno multifacético necesario para la interacción social. La complejidad de su estudio se origina en la multiplicidad de definiciones teóricas y en los distintos niveles de análisis. Aunque existen numerosas revisiones metodológicas, son escasas las que comprenden la autopercepción, el comportamiento y los mecanismos neurobiológicos. Por este motivo, el objetivo de este artículo es realizar un análisis crítico de las metodologías mayormente utilizadas, agrupadas en distintos niveles de análisis. El nivel de autopercepción incluye escalas de autorreporte; el comportamental contempla modelos de simulaciones, presentación de imágenes, filmaciones y narrativas; y el neurobiológico comprende indicadores del sistema nervioso periférico (electrocardiograma, actividad electrodérmica y electromiograma) y central (electroencefalograma y resonancia magnética funcional), y abordajes farmacológicos, neuroquímicos y génicos. Analizamos los procesos afectivos, cognitivos y motivacionales, así como las ventajas y desventajas de cada metodología. Por último, planteamos propuestas integrativas y formulamos preguntas que podrían guiar investigaciones futuras.
Empathy is a multifaceted phenomenon necessary for social interaction. The complexity of its study resides in the multiplicity of theoretical definitions and in the different levels of analysis. Even though there are numerous methodological reviews, those that take into account self-perceived and behavioral levels together with neurobiological mechanisms are scarce. For this reason, the aim of this revision is to perform a critical analysis of different methodologies within different levels of analysis. The self-perception level included self reported scales, the behavioral level comprises simulation models, images or film presentations and narratives, and the neurobiological level included peripheral (electrocardiogram, electrodermal activity and electromyogram) and central nervous system (electroencephalogram and functional magnetic resonance imaging) indicators, and pharmacological, neurochemical and genic approaches. We analysed the affective, cognitive and motivational processes as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each methodology. Finally, we pose some integrative proposals and questions that could guide future research.
Assuntos
Humanos , Autoimagem , Comportamento , Empatia , Técnicas PsicológicasRESUMO
Reduced empathic abilities are frequently observed in drug abusers. These deficits may compromise interpersonal interactions and contribute to diminished social functioning. However, previous evidence regarding empathy and addiction is behaviorally unspecific and virtually null in terms of their brain structural or functional correlates. Moreover, no previous study has investigated how empathy is affected by drugs whose consumption is particularly characterized by counter-empathic behaviors. Here, we conducted the first assessment of neurocognitive correlates of empathy for pain in dependent users (predominantly men) of smoked cocaine (SC, coca paste, n = 37). We compared their performance in the empathy task with that of two groups matched in relevant demographic variables: 24 dependent users of insufflated cocaine hydrochloride (CC) and 21 healthy controls. In addition, we explored the structural anatomy and functional connectivity (FC) correlates of empathic impairments across groups. Our results showed that, compared to CC and controls, SC users exhibited a selective reduction of empathic concern for intentional harms. These impairments were associated with lower gray matter volumes in regions subserving social cognition (i.e., right inferior parietal lobule, supramarginal and angular gyri). Furthermore, reduced empathic concern correlated with FC within affective empathy and social cognition networks, which are also linked to cognitive changes reported in addiction (i.e., inferior frontal and orbital gyri, posterior insula, supplementary motor area, cingulate cortex). Our findings suggest that chronic consumption of SC may involve reduced empathic concern and relevant neuroanatomical and FC abnormalities, which, in turn, may result in social interaction dysfunction. These results can inform theoretical and applied developments in neuropsychopharmacology.
