Anterior Insula Regulation and Pain Empathy

Voluntary Anterior Insula Regulation Impacts Pain Empathy and Functional Connectivity: a Real-time fMRI Study

The aim is to test whether rtfMRI-based neurofeedback training on anterior insula impacts pain empathy.

In the present study, investigators plan to use the real-time fMRI neurofeedback to train healthy subjects to learn volitional control over their own anterior insula (AI) activity. Then the effect of AI regulation will assessed by examining subjects' empathic responses and functional connectivity changes. Subjects were separated into two groups randomly. While the experimental group received specific neurofeedback from their own AI, the control group received sham NF from an unspecific region.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy subjects without past or current psychiatric or neurological disorders

Exclusion Criteria:

• history of head injury;
• claustrophobia;
• pregnancy;
• medical or psychiatric illness.