Music/Dance Training Improve Empathy by Enhancing the Mirror Neurons System Connectivity
Poster No:
1754
Submission Type:
Abstract Submission
Authors:
Yayun Liu1,2,3, Gujing Li1,2,3, Hui He1,2,3, Lupeng Yue4, Kexin Gao1,2,3, Yuanyuan Yu1,2,3, Cheng Luo1,2,3, Dezhong Yao1,2,3
Institutions:
1School of life Science and technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China, 2MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China, 3The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, Chengdu, Sichuan, China, 4Education Center for Students Cultural Qualities, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
First Author:
Yayun Liu
School of life Science and technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China|MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine|The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute
Chengdu, Sichuan, China|Chengdu, Sichuan, China|Chengdu, Sichuan, China
School of life Science and technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China|MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine|The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute
Chengdu, Sichuan, China|Chengdu, Sichuan, China|Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Co-Author(s):
Gujing Li
School of life Science and technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China|MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine|The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute
Chengdu, Sichuan, China|Chengdu, Sichuan, China|Chengdu, Sichuan, China
School of life Science and technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China|MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine|The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute
Chengdu, Sichuan, China|Chengdu, Sichuan, China|Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Hui He
School of life Science and technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China|MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine|The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute
Chengdu, Sichuan, China|Chengdu, Sichuan, China|Chengdu, Sichuan, China
School of life Science and technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China|MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine|The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute
Chengdu, Sichuan, China|Chengdu, Sichuan, China|Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Lupeng Yue
Education Center for Students Cultural Qualities
University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Education Center for Students Cultural Qualities
University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Kexin Gao
School of life Science and technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China|MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine|The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute
Chengdu, Sichuan, China|Chengdu, Sichuan, China|Chengdu, Sichuan, China
School of life Science and technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China|MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine|The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute
Chengdu, Sichuan, China|Chengdu, Sichuan, China|Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Yuanyuan Yu
School of life Science and technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China|MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine|The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute
Chengdu, Sichuan, China|Chengdu, Sichuan, China|Chengdu, Sichuan, China
School of life Science and technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China|MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine|The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute
Chengdu, Sichuan, China|Chengdu, Sichuan, China|Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Cheng Luo
School of life Science and technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China|MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine|The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute
Chengdu, Sichuan, China|Chengdu, Sichuan, China|Chengdu, Sichuan, China
School of life Science and technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China|MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine|The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute
Chengdu, Sichuan, China|Chengdu, Sichuan, China|Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Dezhong Yao
School of life Science and technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China|MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine|The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute
Chengdu, Sichuan, China|Chengdu, Sichuan, China|Chengdu, Sichuan, China
School of life Science and technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China|MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine|The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute
Chengdu, Sichuan, China|Chengdu, Sichuan, China|Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Introduction:
Music and dance are expressive arts of affection and prolonged artistic training might induce enhanced emotional understanding and empathy(Foster Vander Elst, Foster et al. 2023). Previous studies proved that the amygdala was the central subcortical mirror neurons system which constantly assigns sensory information appropriate values of emotional dimensions and is highly involved in the empathy process(Decety 2011, Messina, Caraci et al. 2023). Besides, the basal ganglia is another subcortical area within the mirror neurons system, playing a key role in emotion recognition. Essentially, the amygdala and basal ganglia integrate information and project back to the cortex that subserve social, affective, and motivational functions, which are highly involved in the domains of the empathy process(Haris, Bryant et al. 2023). However, very few studies explored the relationship between subcortical and cortical structure within basal ganglia and amygdala after prolonged artistic training. As a result, this study recruited the within-module degree (WMD) in order to know how the subcortical regions related to emotions interact with cortical functional networks in music/dance group and whether various WMD could induce improved empathy(Hwang, Bertolero et al. 2017).
Methods:
A total of 94 right-handed participants (32 dancers, 29 musicians and 33 healthy control) underwent resting-state fMRI scans and fulfilled the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) scale(Davis 1980). The Brainnetome Atlas was used to parcellate the whole brain into 246 regions(Fan, Li et al. 2016). Pearson correlation was used to establish functional connections between regions. This correlation matrix was then binarized across a range of thresholds (0.1– 0.15, increments of 0.001). Amygdala and basal ganglia were selected as ROIs to calculate WMD between ROI and seven functional networks(Yeo, Krienen et al. 2011), and the WMD of each region was averaged across thresholds. The differences of WMD among groups were evaluated using one-way ANOVA and post-hoc analyses. Finally, the different WMD was correlated with IRI scale.
Results:
Significant differences in WMD were observed in the amygdala and putamen among groups. Post-hoc analysis revealed that WMD between the right medial amygdala and ventral attention network significantly increased in the dance and music groups. The increased WMD between the bilateral ventromedial putamen and the limbic network was only found in the music group. Correlation analysis showed that the WMD of the amygdala and attention network had a significant positive correlation with the PT subscale, while the WMD of the putamen and the limbic network was correlated with the PT or FS subscale.
Conclusions:
The results showed increased connections between the subcortical mirror neuron system and cortical regions associated with emotion in the music/dance group. Increased WMD of the putamen indicate long-term music training might intensively recruit ventromedial putamen and limbic network to participate in emotional perception(Hooker, Verosky et al. 2010). Increased amygdala connectivity to the ventral attention network revealed that music/dance training enhanced a bottom-up process of the amygdala in affective arousal while the ventral attention network contributes to emotion regulation by a top-down approach(Decety 2010). In addition, behavioural results indicated that the communication of the amygdala and putamen with the cortex was highly correlated with empathic capacity. These findings suggested that music training might have broader effects on facilitating cortico-subcortical interaction, which increased the capacity for empathy, particularly in the cognitive domain.
Emotion, Motivation and Social Neuroscience:
Emotional Perception 2
Higher Cognitive Functions:
Music
Learning and Memory:
Neural Plasticity and Recovery of Function
Modeling and Analysis Methods:
fMRI Connectivity and Network Modeling 1
Motor Behavior:
Mirror System
Keywords:
Basal Ganglia
Emotions
FUNCTIONAL MRI
Plasticity
Sub-Cortical
Other - Empathy; Amygdala
1|2Indicates the priority used for review
Provide references using author date format
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