Introducing the English EmpaToM task: A tool to assess empathy, compassion, and theory of mind in fMRI studies

Introduction

Though empathy, compassion, and Theory of Mind (ToM) are related, they have been distinguished conceptually and empirically across behavioural and neuroimaging experiments. The EmpaToM task was the first realistic paradigm developed for use in functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), which can reliably detect and distinguish three different types of neural pathways crucial for understanding others with a single well-controlled task. Though the paradigm holds the potential for use in research settings as well as clinical practice, it has thus far only been validated in German speaking populations, using stimuli in German language, restricting its usability across countries. We present an English-language translation of the original paradigm here.

Method

Thirty-two English speaking adults underwent fMRI scanning, during which we collected neural and behavioural data as in the original validation of the EmpaToM task.

Results

Apart from minor differences, these results replicated the main behavioural and neural findings observed during the validation of the German paradigm. Participants reported increased negative affect and activity in brain regions previously associated with empathy when observing video clips with negative vs neutral valence. They further reported increased compassion. The pattern of neural activity differentiating empathy from compassion was largely consistent with previous research. Increased activity in regions previously associated with ToM were observed in response to stimuli with ToM vs factual reasoning content.

Conclusion

We therefore conclude that the English version of the EmpaToM task can be used to reliably assess empathy, compassion, and ToM on a behavioural as well as neuronal level across English speaking countries and institutions.