Neural signatures of prosocial behaviors

Abstract

Prosocial behaviors are hypothesized to require socio-cognitive and empathic abilities-engaging brain regions attributed to the mentalizing and empathy brain networks. Here, we tested this hypothesis with a coordinate-based meta-analysis of 600 neuroimaging studies on prosociality, mentalizing and empathy (∼12,000 individuals). We showed that brain areas recruited by prosocial behaviors only partially overlap with the mentalizing (dorsal posterior cingulate cortex) and empathy networks (middle cingulate cortex). Additionally, the dorsolateral and ventromedial prefrontal cortices were preferentially activated by prosocial behaviors. Analyses on the functional connectivity profile and functional roles of the neural patterns underlying prosociality revealed that in addition to socio-cognitive and empathic processes, prosocial behaviors further involve evaluation processes and action planning, likely to select the action sequence that best satisfies another person's needs. By characterizing the multidimensional construct of prosociality at the neural level, we provide insights that may support a better understanding of normal and abnormal social cognition (e.g., psychopathy).

Keywords: Activation likelihood estimation; Empathy; Mentalizing; Meta-analytic connectivity mapping; Prosocial behavior; Resting-state functional connectivity.

Figure 1.. Prosociality brain regions.

ALE meta-analysis results showing brain regions consistently engaged by prosocial behaviors. Results were cluster-level familywise-error corrected for multiple comparisons (cFWE < .05). Depicted are Z values. dlPFC, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; dPCC, dorsal posterior cingulate cortex; MCC, middle cingulate cortex; vmPFC, ventromedial prefrontal cortex; ALE, activation likelihood estimation.

Figure 2.. Empathy and mentalizing brain regions.

ALE meta-analyses results showing brain regions consistently engaged by empathy (a) and mentalizing (b). Results were cluster-level familywise-error corrected for multiple comparisons (cFWE < .05). Depicted are Z values. IPL, inferior parietal lobule; dmPFC, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex; MCC, middle cingulate cortex; AI, anterior insula; TPJ, temporoparietal junction; TP, temporal pole; vlPFC, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex; PCC, posterior cingulate cortex; dmPFC, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex; ALE, activation likelihood estimation.

Figure 3.. Contrast and conjunction analyses.

Conjunction analyses to identify brain regions commonly engaged by prosociality and empathy (a) and by prosociality and mentalizing (b). Contrast analyses to identify diverging neural patterns between prosociality (red) and empathy (green) (c) and between prosociality (red) and mentalizing (green) (d). MCC, middle cingulate cortex; vmPFC, ventromedial prefrontal cortex; dPCC, dorsal posterior cingulate cortex; dlPFC, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; AI, anterior insula; dmPFC, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex; PCC, posterior cingulate cortex; OFC, orbitofrontal cortex; TPJ, posterior temporoparietal junction; TC, temporal cortex; vlPFC, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex; TP, temporal pole.

Figure 4.. Functional connectivity and co-activation analyses.

Results of task-free resting-state connectivity (a) and task-based co-activations (b) of the four meta-analytic clusters consistently engaged by prosocial behaviors. Conjunction analyses of the task-free and task-based functional connectivity profiles to identify the extended prosociality network (c). Common brain regions (yellow) of the two maps yielded by the exclusive conjunctions of the prosociality network and empathy (red), and the prosociality network and mentalizing (green) (d). dPCC, dorsal posterior cingulate cortex; dlPFC; dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; vmPFC, ventromedial prefrontal cortex; MCC, middle cingulate cortex; IPL, inferior parietal lobule; TC, temporal cortex; mPFC, medial prefrontal cortex; TPJ, temporoparietal junction; AI, anterior insula; p, prosociality network; e, empathy; m, mentalizing; ∧, logical ‘and’; ¬, logical negation; ∩, conjunction.

Figure 5.. Functional decoding analyses.

Forward (a) and reverse (b) functional decoding analyses to characterize the functional roles of the four meta-analytic clusters consistently engaged by prosocial behaviors. For forward functional decoding analyses, the likelihood ratios are depicted, whereas probability values are depicted for reverse functional decoding. dPCC, dorsal posterior cingulate cortex; dlPFC; dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; vmPFC, ventromedial prefrontal cortex; MCC, middle cingulate cortex.