The Difference of Neural Activity in Viewing between one's own Emotional Situation and Other's : A Neuroimaging Study about Perspective-Taking

자신 혹은 타인의 정서적 상황에 대한 뇌 활성도의 차이 : 관점 획득에 관한 신경영상학적 연구

Objectives : This study aimed to investigate the difference of brain activities in viewing a common emotional situation according to perspective-taking. Methods : Using fMRI, brain activities were measured while performing the task viewing a common emotional situation on either self-perspective or third-person perspective in fourteen healthy men. The relatively activated brain areas on each perspective were investigated, then the relationship between the activated brain regions and the scores of self report about some emotion or empathic ability were explored. Results : The relatively activated brain areas on self-perspective were bilateral paracentral lobule(BA 5), right postcentral gyrus(BA 3), right precentral gyrus(BA 4), left superior temporal gyrus(BA 22), left medial frontal gyrus(BA 6), whereas on third-person perspective right inferior frontal gyrus(BA 47), left caudate body and tail, right superior temporal gyrus(BA 38), right medial frontal gyrus(BA 8) were activated. The relative activity of left superior temporal gyrus on self-perspective was positively correlated with the score of Beck Depression Inventory. Conclusion : This study demonstrated that the activated brain region according to perspective-taking were different while viewing a common emotional situation. The depressive feeling would have an influence on the brain activity related to perspective-taking.