Limbic Responses of Empathic Concern in Physicians

Empathy encompasses cognition, emotion, and motivation, from which different behaviors arise, such as empathic concern, which is essential for physicians and has neural bases including structures from the limbic system. The aim of this research was to understand the limbic responses involved with the empathic concern of physicians in front of patients. This is a review manuscript. Areas of executive attention (superior frontal gyrus) and understanding the mental state (medial prefrontal cortex and temporoparietal junction) were shown to be activated in physicians in a situation of empathic concern with their patients. There was no activation of the insula or anterior cingulate gyrus. Physicians clinically demonstrate that they react in such a way that regulates the emotional processing of pain. Functional activation of brain areas of executive attention and understanding the mental state in physicians, during a situation of empathic concern with their patients, suggests that technical knowledge and experience acquired facing pain modify their limbic responses. The control of the perception of pain in physicians seems to be necessary for reasoning, assistance to others and empathic concern.

Keywords:neuroanatomy; limbic system; empathic concern; physicians.