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01-03-2021 | Review

Is the Putative Mirror Neuron System Associated with Empathy? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Authors: Soukayna Bekkali, George J. Youssef, Peter H. Donaldson, Natalia Albein-Urios, Christian Hyde, Peter G. Enticott

Published in: Neuropsychology Review | Issue 1/2021

Abstract

Theoretical perspectives suggest that the mirror neuron system (MNS) is an important neurobiological contributor to empathy, yet empirical support is mixed. Here, we adopt a summary model for empathy, consisting of motor, emotional, and cognitive components of empathy. This review provides an overview of existing empirical studies investigating the relationship between putative MNS activity and empathy in healthy populations. 52 studies were identified that investigated the association between the MNS and at least one domain of empathy, representing data from 1044 participants. Our results suggest that emotional and cognitive empathy are moderately correlated with MNS activity, however, these domains were mixed and varied across techniques used to acquire MNS activity (TMS, EEG, and fMRI). Few studies investigated motor empathy, and of those, no significant relationships were revealed. Overall, results provide preliminary evidence for a relationship between MNS activity and empathy. However, our findings highlight methodological variability in study design as an important factor in understanding this relationship. We discuss limitations regarding these methodological variations and important implications for clinical and community translations, as well as suggestions for future research.

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Title: Is the Putative Mirror Neuron System Associated with Empathy? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Soukayna Bekkali
George J. Youssef
Peter H. Donaldson
Natalia Albein-Urios
Christian Hyde
Peter G. Enticott
Publication date: 01-03-2021
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Neuropsychology Review / Issue 1/2021
Print ISSN: 1040-7308
Electronic ISSN: 1573-6660
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11065-020-09452-6

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Is the Putative Mirror Neuron System Associated with Empathy? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

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Abstract

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