The shared neural substrates of emotional mimicry and emotional contagion: an activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis and meta-analytic connectivity modeling analysis.

ABSTRACT: Emotional contagion is an important aspect of social interaction. Traditional theories suggest that it relies on mimicry of facial or emotional movements. To address the question of whether there is a distinction between emotional contagion and emotional mimicry, we conducted a meta-analysis using the Activation Likelihood Estimation algorithm to identify brain regions activated by the two tasks. We then evaluated the co-activation patterns of these common regions using meta-analytic connectivity modelling (MACM). The results show partial overlap in brain regions, such as the cingulate gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, and inferior parietal lobule, between emotional contagion and emotional mimicry. Contrast analyses further identified distinct brain regions activated by each task. MACM analysis

SUBMITTER: Fu Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12542505 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature