Empathy aligns brains in synchrony.

ABSTRACT: Empathy is a core human capacity that underpins social life. Utilizing hyperscanning electroencephalography (EEG), we tested how empathy to others' distress synchronizes brains without social cues. Mothers and adolescents (study 1, n = 100) underwent empathy-to-distress paradigm in separate rooms. Event-related interbrain connectivity was computed in four 500 ms time-windows following exposure to empathy-to-distress and control stimuli. Interbrain synchrony of fronto-temporal regions emerged throughout (0-2,000 ms) in alpha and beta bands following empathy-to-distress relative to control. Beta interbrain synchrony increased at 1,000-1,500 post-stimuli, indicating neural coupling of higher-order cognitive empathy. Oxytocin and behavioral synchrony correlated with enhanced interbrain

SUBMITTER: Schwartz L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12159917 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature