A1 Journal article (refereed)
Brain and behavioral alterations in subjects with social anxiety dominated by empathic embarrassment (2020)

Tei, S., Kauppi, J.-P., Jankowski, K. F., Fujino, J., Monti, R. P., Tohka, J., Abe, N., Murai, T., Takahashi, H., & Hari, R. (2020). Brain and behavioral alterations in subjects with social anxiety dominated by empathic embarrassment. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 117(8), 4385-4391. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1918081117

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Tei, Shisei; Kauppi, Jukka-Pekka; Jankowski, Kathryn F.; Fujino, Junya; Monti, Ricardo P.; Tohka, Jussi; Abe, Nobuhito; Murai, Toshiya; Takahashi, Hidehiko; Hari, Riitta

Journal or series: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

ISSN: 0027-8424

eISSN: 1091-6490

Publication year: 2020

Volume: 117

Issue number: 8

Pages range: 4385-4391

Publisher: National Academy of Sciences

Publication country: United States

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1918081117

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/67916

Abstract

Social-anxiety disorder involves a fear of embarrassing oneself in the presence of others. Taijin-kyofusho (TKS), a subtype common in East Asia, additionally includes a fear of embarrassing others. TKS individuals are hypersensitive to others' feelings and worry that their physical or behavioral defects humiliate others. To explore the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms, we compared TKS ratings with questionnaire-based empathic disposition, cognitive flexibility (set-shifting), and empathy-associated brain activity in 23 Japanese adults. During 3-tesla functional MRI, subjects watched video clips of badly singing people who expressed either authentic embarrassment (EMBAR) or hubristic pride (PRIDE). We expected the EMBAR singers to embarrass the viewers via emotion-sharing involving affective empathy (affEMP), and the PRIDE singers to embarrass via perspective-taking involving cognitive empathy (cogEMP). During affEMP (EMBAR > PRIDE), TKS scores correlated positively with dispositional affEMP (personal-distress dimension) and with amygdala activity. During cogEMP (EMBAR < PRIDE), TKS scores correlated negatively with cognitive flexibility and with activity of the posterior superior temporal sulcus/temporoparietal junction (pSTS/TPJ). Intersubject correlation analysis implied stronger involvement of the anterior insula, inferior frontal gyrus, and premotor cortex during affEMP than cogEMP and stronger involvement of the medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, and pSTS/TPJ during cogEMP than affEMP. During cogEMP, the whole-brain functional connectivity was weaker the higher the TKS scores. The observed imbalance between affEMP and cogEMP, and the disruption of functional brain connectivity, likely deteriorate cognitive processing during embarrassing situations in persons who suffer from other-oriented social anxiety dominated by empathic embarrassment.

Keywords: social phobia; empathy; functional magnetic resonance imaging

Free keywords: embarrassment; empathy; functional magnetic resonance imaging; intersubject correlation; social anxiety

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

VIRTA submission year: 2020

JUFO rating: 3