Being the target of another's emotion: a PET study.

Full Abstract

The eye region and gaze behaviour are known to play a major role in conveying information about direction of attention and emotional dispositions. Positron emission tomography scanning was used to explore the cerebral structures involved while subjects were asked to attribute hostile or friendly intentions to video-taped actors who directed attention towards or away from the subjects. As expected, a number of brain regions known to be involved in emotion processing was found activated when subjects had to attribute an emotion regardless of gaze direction. In addition, results indicate that gaze direction has an impact on the brain regions recruited to interpret emotions. The anterior region of the superior temporal gyrus (STG) was selectively activated during analysis of emotions through eye contact. This result provides neurophysiological evidence for privileged processing when an individual becomes personally involved as the object of another's emotions.

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Author information

Author/s: Wicker, Bruno (B); Perrett, David I (DI); Baron-Cohen, Simon (S); Decety, Jean (J);

Affiliation: INSERM U 280, 151 Cours Albert Thomas, 69424 Lyon Cedex 03, France. wicker(-atsign-)lnf.cnrs-mrs.fr

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Neuropsychologia (Neuropsychologia), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2003-; vol 41 (issue 2) : pp 139-46

Dates: Created 2002/12/02; Completed 2003/03/19; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 12459212, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adult
Arousal - physiology
Attention - physiology
Brain Mapping
Cerebral Cortex - physiology
Emotions - physiology
Female
Hostility
Humans

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