Multi-layered mechanism of empathy: An imaging genetics study

Abstract

The concept of empathy comprises emotional and cognitive components. The organizational model of empathy describes its mechanism as integrating individual differences, implicit processing, and social behavior. Although studies in various research areas have revealed the genetic, neural, and psychological mechanisms of empathy, these mechanisms are often investigated independently. An imaging genetics approach, which combines genotyping and brain function measurement, investigates these multi-layered mechanisms. Here, we review a multi-layered mechanism of empathy by combining the organizational model of empathy with an imaging genetics approach. This review presents a comprehensive perspective integrating the genetic, neural, and psychological mechanisms of empathy.